(Des Moines, IA) Iowans will have an easier way to register to vote and update their registration information thanks to the new electronic voter registration system unveiled Monday by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. The system is housed on the Iowa Department of Transportation’s website, available for use any time of day, and is accessible on any computer or mobile device with an internet connection.
“Iowa is a national leader in voter accessibility. Offering electronic voter registration increases that stature,” Secretary Pate said. “I want all eligible citizens to participate in the electoral process. This is another step toward that goal. Iowans can now register to vote online, by mail, at driver’s license stations and other government agency offices, through voter registration drives, and at the polls on Election Day. Every Iowan that wants to register to vote has that opportunity.”
Iowa also boasts no-excuse absentee voting, and maintains one of the longest early voting (40 days) and Election Day voting (14 hours) periods.
Secretary Pate demonstrated the state’s new electronic voter registration system during a Monday morning news conference. Anyone with a driver’s license or state-issued I.D. can utilize the new electronic voter registration system, which launched January 1, 2016. Iowa’s system sets it apart from other states.
“Many states claim to have online voter registration, but Iowa’s system is one of the few that is all electronic,” Secretary Pate said. “Most other states still require a paper form to be mailed to the registrant, filled out and returned. Iowa’s system is all done online, and our partnership with the Iowa DOT insures security and integrity.”
“Built entirely with in-house developers, this online service gives the vast majority of Iowans more convenience and better access to voter registration services without sacrificing security or integrity, all at no additional cost to taxpayers,” said Mark Lowe, Director of the Iowa DOT’s Division of Motor Vehicles. “We’re very pleased to have had the opportunity to contribute our time and resources to this project.”
Secretary Pate pledges to continue to pursue ways to help all Iowans participate in the electoral process.
Watch the press conference held on Monday morning below: