Washington County Auditor Dan Widmer and Secretary of State Paul Pate show valid forms of voter ID. Photo by Sam McIntosh.

As the 2018 general election is less than two months away, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate met with Washington County poll workers Friday.

Pate, State Director of Elections Dawn Williams and Washington County Auditor Dan Widmer held a “Voter Ready Round Table Discussion” at the Washington County Courthouse with local election stakeholders to discuss new voter integrity election laws. Pate explained how the state is doing a “soft rollout” of the voter ID requirement, “For them the only difference is we ask them for an ID, one of these types of IDs, they share it with you. You proceed to do it as you would on any other election day. If they choose not to use the ID this year they will sign an oath affidavit saying, “I’m Paul Pate,” and that’s it.”

After January 1st, 2019 Iowa voters will be required to show a driver’s license, non-driver’s ID, passport, military ID, veterans ID, tribal ID or Voter ID Card at the polls before they vote. Those without an ID will be offered a provisional ballot which will then be reviewed by the absentee board.

Pate emphasized the importance of poll workers, “I really got to be up front with you about it. Many of you poll workers, you are our ambassadors, you’re our emissaries because you get exposed to more of the stuff in the weeds, the detailed stuff. So that sometimes when people are in a coffee shop they may be saying something that they might have heard on T.V. or somebody else shared with them and it’s not accurate by any means, and I’m not talking to you about Voter ID I’m talking about voting.”

Any registered voter who doesn’t have an ID issued by the Iowa Department of Transportation will be issued a Voter ID Card for free automatically in the mail.