Allamakee County Auditor part of bipartisan advisory group working to combat election disinformation
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and his bipartisan Auditors Advisory Group are uniting to dispel election misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2022 general election scheduled for November 8. Secretary Pate notes there has been a recent increase in the spread of false claims regarding elections in the state of Iowa, despite there being no evidence of intrusions into Iowa’s election systems.
“Iowans vote on paper ballots, and you cannot hack a paper ballot. We have numerous security measures and checks and balances in place to ensure the integrity of the vote. That includes Voter ID, public testing of voting equipment prior to the election, post-election audits and a wide array of cybersecurity protections,” Secretary Pate and the Auditors Advisory Group said in a joint statement.
Secretary Pate and the county auditors serving on the Auditors Advisory Group also stand united in their support of the bipartisan teams of poll workers that will work at voting sites during the November 8 election.
“You also have your friends and neighbors staffing the polling sites - in a bipartisan fashion. They are standing up and providing a great service for our state and nation and deserve respect. We encourage all eligible Iowans to register to vote and participate in elections, and we want voters to know that we are dedicated to protecting their vote,” Secretary Pate and the Auditors Advisory Group added.
Secretary Pate’s office 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.
“Iowa is one of the top three states in the nation for election administration and that’s because we have a dedicated team of professionals in every county. Election cybersecurity remains a race without a finish line, and we are committed to staying ahead in this race,” Secretary Pate and the Auditors Advisory Group said.
Among the members of Secretary Pate’s bipartisan Auditors Advisory Group is Allamakee County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer. She is part of the bipartisan 12-member Auditors Advisory Group working with Secretary Pate. Additional members of that Advisory Group include fell County Auditors Amanda Waske of Ringgold County, Carol Robertson of Mills County, Denise Fraise of Lee County, Hayley Rippel of Benton County, Jamie Fitzgerald of Polk County, Jennifer Garms of Clayton County, Melissa Wellhausen of Page County, Rhonda Deters of Grundy County, Ryan Dokter of Sioux County, Sue Lloyd of Buena Vista County and Whitney Hein of Jones County.
