Iowa secretary of state has 'serious concerns' with Trump's voting order

Source: USA Today

April 15, 2026, 4:13 p.m. ET


Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says he has "serious concerns" about President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to place new limits on mail-in voting.

Trump signed the executive order March 31. Among other changes, it seeks to create a first-of-its-kind federal list of eligible voters and instruct the U.S. Postal Service not to deliver absentee ballots to anyone who isn't on the list. Trump's order is being challenged in court by more than 20 Democratic state attorneys general. Iowa has not joined that challenge.

Pate, who like Trump is a Republican, told reporters Wednesday, April 15, "I have to be careful. I don't have a law degree." But he said there are "serious concerns" about the executive order.

"I’ve said this before, I believe the U.S. Constitution says elections are run by the states," he said. "The only exception to that is congressional races, the Congress has a voice in it."

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/15/iowa-secretary-state-trump-mail-voting-executive-order/89630879007/