Secretary of State Paul Pate says 2026 ‘potential noncitizen’ list unlikely

After his speech at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox Monday, Pate answered a question from a reporter on whether similar guidance would be issued in 2026 — something Pate said would not happen as Iowa gained access to the SAVE database, resolved through a lawsuit in 2025.

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Pate said, “I hope we never have to do anything like that again.”

“It was unfortunate last time, when the Biden White House wouldn’t give us the list,” Pate said. “So we we had no choice but to do what we did. I hated it, and quite frankly, that’s why I wasn’t a fan of when (media) and others wanted the list. I’m going, ‘no, that’s like putting the scarlet letter on these people.’ I’m trying not to do that. We’re trying to make this as subtle as we can, to help them through the process without putting the scarlet letter on. But now since we do have the access to the list, we’ve already went through the list. And we’re doing that to make sure we’re comfortable with where we’re at. And so I don’t see that as a necessary thing to happen.”

In March 2025, Pate said 277 of the 2,176 individuals identified as potential noncitizens in the 2024 general election were confirmed to not have U.S. citizenship, and could not legally participate in U.S. elections.

Pate has served as secretary of state since 2015, and previously held the position from 1995 to 1999. He’s challenged in the 2026 election by Democrat Ryan Peterman, who has criticized Pate for sharing Iowa voter information with the U.S. Department of Justice.

In May, Pate announced Iowa had decided to comply with the DOJ’s request for voter registration data, which included personally identifiable information like driver’s license and Social Security numbers, after consulting with secretary of state’s legal team and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Pate had said these legal advisers determined the U.S. attorney general had the power to demand this information, and that his office was required to share the data.

However, Peterman has argued this conclusion was incorrect. He pointed to officials in other states refusing the DOJ demand. The DOJ brought legal challenges to 30 states’ decisions not to share information. So far, 20 of these cases have been dismissed, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Pate told reporters he understands why others are “sensitive” about his decision to share this information, saying, “I’m very sensitive to it as well.” He said it was not a decision he made lightly — but also said that critics are misrepresenting the situation as him fully giving over information to the DOJ. He said the DOJ also asked his office to sign a memorandum of understanding, which he refused to do, saying he instead laid out conditions for how the federal department would be able to use the shared voter information.

“This was all before all these court cases were popping up, so it was like, Monday morning quarterbacks come to me now and said, ‘Well, what do you think now? All these other states have done this.’ … Well, I understand, time goes on … They’re still not done with it. They’re still in court, so we’ll see how everything resolves in the end. But I had to keep a decision based on what I had for information at the time, so that’s where I’m at on it.”

Pate said he wanted to make sure the information was being used for the purposes the DOJ informed Iowa about “and not beyond that.” He also said the work with the federal government was part of his office’s efforts to ensure Iowa’s voter rolls were accurate.

“We’re always looking to make sure we have the cleanest, most accurate list of eligible voters,” Pate said. “That’s our primary focus, and so in working with the federal government on some of this, that was the goal, and it still is.”

Speaking at the Soapbox, Pate told Iowa fairgoers Monday that voting in Iowa matters — and said this was why his office is also focused on stopping noneligible people from participating in elections. He referenced U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meek’s 2020 win against Democrat Rita Hart by a margin of six votes as proof that in Iowa, voting matters.

“Every one of you need to be out there voting,” Pate said. “You need to inspire your friends and neighbors to vote because your voice is so important. And after the election, you can have people might complain about some of the results, but did they vote? Their voice really counts. We had a congressional race here in Iowa a few years ago that was won by six votes. So yes, your vote counts, and that is why we combat voter fraud the way we do.”

Pate told the crowd that the only acceptable amount of voter fraud was “zero,” which is why Iowa implemented voter ID requirements, and why his office is focused on sharing information about how to vote and register to vote ahead of the election.

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