Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate

08/28/2026

Our Chief of Staff had the honor of welcoming a new group of Iowans who officially became American citizens today at the World Food & Music Festival.

Naturalization ceremonies are a wonderful reminder of what makes our country so special. People from different backgrounds and from all over the world are choosing to call Iowa home and are becoming part of our communities. Congratulations to our newest citizens.

It is our pleasure to attend these ceremonies to make one of the first requests to these newly naturalized citizens -- whether they will register to vote. Voting is an amazing power, and we are honored to help these new citizens take the first step in the voting process.

08/26/2026

From Registration to Participation: Preparing for Election Season

Iowa schools and colleges, join us for a quick webinar on ways to help students get registered, engaged and ready for the General Election.

We’ll share practical, nonpartisan ideas and resources you can use on campus or in the classroom.

Wednesday, September 2
11:00 a.m. CDT

Register here: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/__EMAIL__0

08/26/2026

Iowans can officially request an absentee ballot by mail for the 2026 General Election through Monday, October 19.

County auditors will begin mailing absentee ballots on October 14.

Request your ballot and learn more at voterready.iowa.gov or contact your local county auditor.

08/25/2026

A little back-to-school office visit! One of our team members brought her two sons by before school started, and they wasted no time making themselves comfortable at the Secretary of State’s desk.

Looks like we may have some future officeholders in the making!

08/25/2026

We’re proud to share this fundraiser from Wings of Refuge, an organization working to support survivors of human trafficking.

Stop by Texas Roadhouse in Ames, present the flyer, and 10% of your total food purchase will be donated to Wings of Refuge.

Through Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT), our office works to engage Iowa businesses in the fight against human trafficking. Supporting organizations like Wings of Refuge is one more way we can come together as Iowans to help survivors and work toward ending human trafficking in our state. Learn more at ibat.iowa.gov.

08/25/2026

We've gotten a lot of questions about our straw poll this year, so we wanted to explain how it works. Thousands of Iowans stopped by our booth in the Varied Industries Building at the fair to take part, and we appreciate that.

A few things worth knowing:

- It's unscientific and unofficial. It's a fun, informal activity for fairgoers.

- The goal of the straw poll is to get people thinking about the upcoming election and make sure they're registered to vote.

- It's open to anyone who visits our booth, including kids, out-of-state visitors, and repeat fairgoers.

- It's conducted on iPads set up throughout our booth, with a simple one-tap format.

The Iowa General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. If you haven't already, make a plan to vote at voterready.iowa.gov.

2026 Iowa State Fair Straw Poll Results: Governor

The votes are in! Iowans visiting the Iowa State Fair had the opportunity to cast their straw poll vote for Governor, and we're pleased to share the results.

All results are unscientific and unofficial. View all results at: https://apps.sos.iowa.gov/elections/statefair/strawpoll/statefairresults.aspx #30

08/24/2026

2026 Iowa State Fair Straw Poll Results: U.S. House of Representatives

Fairgoers had the opportunity to cast their straw poll vote for U.S. House of Representatives, and we're pleased to share the results.

All results are unscientific and unofficial. View all results at: https://apps.sos.iowa.gov/elections/statefair/strawpoll/statefairresults.aspx #30

08/24/2026

2026 Iowa State Fair Straw Poll Results: U.S. Senate

The votes are in! Fairgoers had the opportunity to cast their straw poll vote for U.S. Senate, and we're pleased to share the results.

All results are unscientific and unofficial. View all results at: https://apps.sos.iowa.gov/elections/statefair/strawpoll/statefairresults.aspx #30

08/24/2026

2026 Iowa State Fair Straw Poll Results: Governor

The votes are in! Iowans visiting the Iowa State Fair had the opportunity to cast their straw poll vote for Governor, and we're pleased to share the results.

All results are unscientific and unofficial. View all results at: https://apps.sos.iowa.gov/elections/statefair/strawpoll/statefairresults.aspx #30

08/23/2026

It was a great time visiting with fairgoers while the Iowa League of Heroes was here at the booth yesterday!

Today is the last day of the Iowa State Fair, make sure to cast your vote in our annual straw poll!