Iowa Brings Together Federal, State Officials to Secure June Primary Elections
Officials said paper ballots, audits and 24-hour cyber monitoring will help protect voting as early voting is already underway.
- On Tuesday, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate led a statewide security press conference with the FBI, Iowa National Guard, and Department of Homeland Security to assure Iowans that ballots will be counted fairly and securely ahead of the June 2 primary.
- Threats to the election process are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, prompting year-round preparation; as November midterms approach, misinformation on candidates and election security become more complex, driving officials to conduct tabletop exercises with CISA partners.
- FBI Special Agent Eugene Kowel said his team tracks threats from adversarial nation states, criminal actors and hacktivists, which have become blended threats; the Iowa National Guard activated Joint Task Force Cyber to monitor critical election networks, while the Iowa Security Operations Center will provide 24-hour-a-day cyberthreat monitoring.
- Pate emphasized that "Election security is a team sport" involving cyber protections, physical security and election workers; Iowa's paper ballots cannot be hacked, with pre-election testing in all 99 counties, and an Iowa Poll found 91% of respondents have confidence in election results.
- On June 2, officials will monitor potential threats from the Johnston National Guard building; early voting continues through June 1 with voters averaging 130 ballots daily since Wednesday the 13th, while Pate's office shared voter data with the Department of Justice at President Donald Trump's direction, drawing Democratic criticism.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Iowa brings together federal, state officials to secure June primary elections
Iowa election officials announced federal and state security teams will monitor the June 2 primary elections for cyber threats, with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Iowa National Guard working alongside state officials.
Election officials say they're working to ensure security for June 2 primary
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate held a news conference with other state and federal officials May 26, 2026 talking about election security measures taken leading into the June 2 primary. (Photo byRobin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)With the June 2 primary a week away, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said Tuesday that Iowa state officials are working with federal offices and the National Guard to ensure election integrity. Pate was joined by o…
Iowa secretary of state vows secure election ahead of June 2 primary
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and the state's election security team gathered Tuesday to highlight the layers of security protecting Iowa's elections and reinforce voter confidence heading into an important election year.
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