Iowa Secretary of State
06/25/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Iowa Secretary of State honored with national award for election administration for youth voter registration initiative
DES MOINES - Thanks to diligent efforts in to engage Iowa youth in Iowa's voting process and ensure election integrity throughout the state, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has been recognized with a national award from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Secretary Pate's Carrie Chapman Catt Award program was recognized for excellence in election administration.
The U.S. Election Assistance (EAC) recognizes local and state election offices each year with the Clearinghouse Awards, also known as the "Clearies," to share and celebrate best practices in election administration.
"We launched the Carrie Chapman Catt Award program to encourage voter registration among Iowa's students. Research shows that engaging young people early and teaching them how to register to vote and participate in elections instills lifelong civic engagement," said Secretary Pate. "With this program, it's our hope to not only give Iowa's younger generations the tools they need to participate in current elections, but to encourage them to be voters throughout their entire lives."
Named after Carrie Chapman Catt, an Iowan who was a national leader in the women's suffrage movement, the award program encourages Iowa high schools that participate to host voter registration drives and register their eligible students to vote. Schools who register more than 90% of eligible students are recognized with a special trophy and presentation. Schools that register 70% and 50% of their eligible students are also recognized. During the 2023-2024 school year, more than 40 schools registered 90% or more of their eligible students, surpassing 2022's record of 31 schools.
The Iowa Secretary of State's office was recognized for the Carrie Chapman Catt Award program in the category of "Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives." The EAC introduced this category for the first time this year to recognize the importance of building public trust and engaging communities to participate in elections.
"With the rise of artificial intelligence and the increased need for reliable election information, we are pleased to introduce the Distinguished Voter Education and Communications Initiatives award category for small and large jurisdictions. Effective and innovative communications is critical, and we hope the winners in this new category can provide useful best practices for 2024 and beyond," said EAC Chairman Ben Hovland, Vice Chair Donald Palmer, Commissioner Thomas Hicks, and Commissioner Christy McCormick in a joint statement.
"The U.S. Election Assistance Commission is an important partner for us as we ensure safe and secure elections for Iowans. We are extremely honored to be recognized by the commission for our efforts to engage Iowans and provide voter registration resources to Iowa students," added Secretary Pate. "Iowa is nationally recognized as a top state for election administration, and we are dedicated to keeping up this momentum and doing everything we can to ensure the integrity of the vote."
This marks the fourth time the Iowa Secretary of State has been recognized with this prestigious award. Secretary Pate has been recognized with the Clearie award three previous times, in 2018, 2020, and 2022 respectively.
A photo of the 2022 Award is available at this link.
A photo of the Carrie Chapman Catt Award trophy is available for your use at this link.
###