DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and his Auditor Advisory Group are once again working together to serve as trusted sources for information leading into the 2023 City-School Election. Together, the election officials are preparing to dispel election misinformation and disinformation ahead of the election this November and are urging Iowans to turn to trusted sources for election information.

There has been an alarming increase in the spread of false claims regarding elections across the country despite there being no evidence of intrusions into Iowa’s election systems. Secretary Pate and the county auditors also stand united in their support of the bipartisan teams of poll workers that will work at voting sites this November.

Iowa is ranked third in the nation for election administration, and Secretary Pate and the Auditor Advisory Group are sending a message that Iowans can be assured elections in the state are some of the safest and securest in the country.

There are multiple steps taken to ensure election integrity:

• Iowans vote on paper ballots.
• Public testing of voting equipment occurs before each election.
• Post-election audits are conducted in all 99 counties.
• Collaboration around cybersecurity protections with agencies like the Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• Voter ID instituted at the polls and on absentee ballot requests.

“In addition to the many steps election officials take each year to ensure safe and secure elections in our state, we have 10,000 Iowans who step up each election to be poll workers,” said Secretary Pate and the auditors in a joint statement. “Poll workers are trusted faces in your community, they are your friends and neighbors. Iowans from both sides of the aisle play a key role in protecting the integrity of our vote, and we have the highest respect for their service.”

Secretary Pate’s office has also developed an Election Security in Iowa webpage to counter misinformation and disinformation. It includes a Myth vs. Fact section, a detailed breakdown of the many security measures Iowa has put in place to protect elections, and a five-minute video that details how ballots and election equipment are maintained.

The members of Secretary Pate’s Auditor Advisory Group and the county each represents include:

• Amanda Waske – Ringgold
• Rebecca Bissell – Adams
• Robin Batz – Calhoun
• Shelley Wolf – Bremer
• Barb Rohwer – O’Brien
• Mandy Berg – Adair
• Melissa Wellhausen – Page
• Tibe Vander Linden – Muscatine
• Hayley Rippel-Benton
• Whitney Hein-Jones

DES MOINES — Drivers are advised to stay alert as they travel Iowa’s roadsides over the coming weeks. Autumn deer behavior, crop harvest and peak travel times for motorists combine to hike the risk of vehicle-deer collisions in Iowa.

From the middle of October until the third week of November, Iowa bucks become more active in the pursuit of does during the breeding season. Motorist may be distracted by the first deer that crosses not seeing the pursuing buck. This adds to multiple scenarios of fast moving, unpredictable deer crossing highways.

The crop harvest is already in full swing, concentrating deer into remaining cover that is often brushy creeks, trees or fence lines which often intersect with roads. A third factor will be the change away from daylight savings time on November 5, placing more Iowans behind the wheel during the deer-heavy dawn and dusk periods.

A few ways to give drivers an edge during this period are to reduce speed, increase following distance from other cars, and to sweep eye movements from ditch to ditch, especially during those low light periods and when approaching those brushy or tree lined ‘funnels’ near roads. Drivers are also encouraged not to ‘veer for deer,’ leaving the lane of traffic could cause a collision with another vehicle or a roadside obstacle, such as a utility pole or culvert.

Iowa’s deer herd is managed to provide a harvest of between 100,000 and 120,000 annually, that is achieved by providing additional opportunities for hunters to harvest does. Last year, Iowa hunters reported harvesting nearly 110,000 deer.