Colorado, Louisiana, Oregon & West Virginia Recognized by Peers for Outstanding Secretary of State Office Programs & Services

WASHINGTON, DC--The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), which concluded its annual winter meeting this weekend in Washington, DC, has announced the selection of four national finalists for the 2013 NASS IDEAS Award. Programs nominated by Secretary of State offices in Colorado, Louisiana, Oregon and West Virginia will be honored in July at the NASS 2013 Summer Conference in Anchorage, Alaska. The NASS IDEAS Award recognizes innovation, dedication, excellence and achievement in service in state member programming, as well as significant contributions to the mission of NASS. 

"We want to thank all of the state member offices that submitted a nomination for our second annual IDEAS Award, and congratulate the national finalists," noted North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger, co-chair of the NASS Awards Committee.  "The four Secretary of State offices selected for this honor are shining examples of the diverse array of innovative, cost-effective programming and services being offered throughout the nation by Secretary of State offices and their hardworking staffs."

Finalists for the NASS IDEAS Award are selected following a review and ranking vote by a designated committee of their peers. State submissions are judged according to their history, significance and effects/results. All finalists will be invited to showcase their innovative state program during a special best practices panel at this year's annual NASS summer conference on July 18-21 in Anchorage, Alaska. NASS members will vote to select the national honoree from among the finalists, and the recipient office will be announced and presented with the IDEAS Award during the summer event. 

"It's important to emphasize the difficulty of choosing the best ideas that are put forward for consideration each year, as all Secretary of State offices are doing exemplary work." added NASS President and Nevada Secretary of State Ross J. Miller, also co-chair of the NASS Awards Committee. "I look forward to learning more about the outstanding programs that were selected for recognition by this association and will be showcased at our summer meeting." 

The programs that were selected as NASS 2013 IDEAS Award finalists include (in alphabetical order):

Office of the Colorado Secretary of State:  Quarterly Business & Economic Indicators Report

Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State:  GeauxVote Mobile

Office of the Oregon Secretary of State:  Vote-by-Tablet - Using iPads & Windows 8 Technology for Accessible Voting

Office of the West Virginia Secretary of State:  West Virginia Secretary of State Business & Licensing Online Chat

Click here to learn more about the state finalist programs for the 2013 NASS IDEAS Award

Founded in 1904, NASS is the oldest, nonpartisan professional organization of public officials in the U.S. Members include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico. NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services and digital archiving, as well as several well-established awards programs.

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For more information on the National Association of Secretaries of State and its members, click here.