Skip to content
Democracy SENTRY
Voting in your state
UpdateIowaThursday, October 29, 2026

Iowa election officials assured voters of secure 2026 count

Reporting by
KIMT News 3 (Mason City)
“Iowa election officials vow secure, accurate vote count in 2026”, Thursday, October 29, 2026
Read the full story
What happened

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and the state's election security team gathered at the State Emergency Operation Center on Wednesday to assure citizens that the state's election process is safe and secure ahead of 2026 voting. Pate outlined multiple layers of cyber, physical and frontline protection. Iowa has received national awards from the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Election Assistance Commission.1

The security team spans the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security, the Iowa National Guard, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and all 99 county auditors.1

99
county auditors in Iowa1
What it means in Iowa

What this means for Iowa voters

The Secretary of State is part of the State Canvassing Board that compiles the official abstract and certifies the results after the election.2 County auditors provide the results to the county board of supervisors, which canvasses them and sends them to the Secretary of State.2

Key dates in Iowa

Election Day in 5 days
  1. Wed, Oct 14 · passed
    Early voting begins
  2. Mon, Oct 19 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  3. Tue, Nov 3 · 5 days
    Election Day; Registration deadline; Mail ballots must arrive
  4. Mon, Nov 16 · 18 days
    County/Local certification
  5. Mon, Nov 30 · 32 days
    State certification

Every date in Iowa, and who certifies the election

The answers behind this
Voting machines and election securityVoting in Iowa, 2026Who certifies the election in Iowa, and by when?What protects the result if someone tries to interfere after the vote?

Explore this issue

OverviewUpdates In depthFederal court rules DOJ voter data demands violate privacy and state authority In depthICE investigated hundreds of voter registration groups across the U.S. In depthSupreme Court allowed resumed use of expanded citizenship verification system In depthFederal judge dismissed challenge to Florida voter registration law In depthJudge blocks Trump effort to tie anti-terror funds to election rules In depthWisconsin Supreme Court will hear case on extended polling hours In depthState Department weighs sharing passport records for voter citizenship checks In depthWisconsin court blocked backup plan for late-arriving mail ballots In depthTexas judge allows Tarrant County to cut polling sites by nearly a third In depthCourt permanently blocked ban on voter registration at naturalization events In depthFederal court dismissed lawsuit challenging Florida voter verification law In depthCochise County supervisor says he will certify November election

Sources

  1. KIMT News 3 (Mason City), https://kimt.com/news/iowa-election-officials-vow-secure-accurate-vote-count-in-2026/article_ef65964e-a1e0-4000-8238-9eb78a14b64f.html · Thursday, October 29, 2026
  2. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/

Ask

Have a question about voting in Iowa?

Ask it here. If we do not have the answer yet, we will find it.