Newly elected Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Tuesday he is anxious to make changes to improve the state’s voting system. He expects the upgrades will require money and new technology to achieve. Pate is a former state senator who served as secretary of state from 1995 to 1999 and defeated Democrat Brad Anderson in the Nov. 4 election. He said he wants to expand use of computer-based poll books used in 66 counties to move voters through polling places more quickly and strengthen election security. Under his plan, Pate would tie the voter registration data to the Iowa Department of Transportation driver’s license database, which includes a bar code, photo and signature for additional verification. “It won’t happen overnight, but it has to happen,” said Pate, who discussed his ideas with about 30 Polk County Republicans at a breakfast meeting Tuesday.
Pate said 93 percent of Iowans registered to vote have driver’s license. He said he hopes to seek funding to provide the other 7 percent with non-driver ID cards. The secretary of state-elect said it will take money and enhanced technology to equip all 99 county auditors with electronic tablets, offer online voter registration, and provide electronic verification for absentee ballots and in the process eliminate absentee ballot couriers.
Full Article: Upgrades for Iowa voting system sought.