Photo: 2024 IDEAS Award recipient - Iowa Secretary of State. (L-R: Hon. Scott Schwab, KS, Hon. Paul Pate, IA, as well as Iowa staff Ms. Christy Johnson, Ms. Ashley Hunt and Mr. Michael Ross)
Established in 2011, the NASS IDEAS (Innovation, Dedication, Excellence & Achievement in Service) Award recognizes significant state contributions to the mission of NASS, as well as honors the outstanding programs and achievements of NASS member offices. Nominations are encouraged in all areas of state government programming that is overseen or administered by Secretary of State or Lieutenant Governor offices throughout the U.S.
2025 IDEAS Nominations
Office of the Colorado Secretary of State: Battling Business Fraud
Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State: Civically Engaged Organizations (CEOs)
Office of the Iowa Secretary of State: Be the Expert: A Three-Pronged Approach to Positioning County Election Commissioners as Trusted Sources
Office of the Indiana Secretary of State: Blow the Whistle on Election Interference
Office of the Kentucky Secretary of State: Kentucky Civic Seal Program
Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State: Know on the Geaux: Meeting Voters Where They Are
Office of the Michigan Secretary of State: Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force
Office of the Mississippi Secretary of State: SOS Student Ambassador Program
Office of the New Hampshire Secretary of State: Historical Statues Can No Longer Stay Silent: Promoting Cybersecurity as a Civic Responsibility
Office of the New Jersey Secretary of State: Families First Discovery Pass Nomination
Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State: Seeing is No Longer Believing – Raising Awareness About Artificial Intelligence in Elections
Office of the Ohio Secretary of State: Ready for November Program
Office of the Oregon Secretary of State: Since Time Immemorial: Increasing Access to Public Records in Oregon with Tribal Cultural Value
Office of the Rhode Island Department of State: Rhode Island Civic Leadership Program
Office of the Washington Secretary of State: Government Operations and Key Infrastructure Toolkits (GO-KITs)
IDEAS Award Recipients
2024: Office of the Iowa Secretary of State, Recruiting a New Generation of Poll Workers
2023: Office of the Mississippi Secretary of State, Tackle the Tape
2022: Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State, Operation Geaux Vote
2021: Office of the Michigan Secretary of State, Democracy is a Team Sport: Forging Active Partnerships Between Election Officials and Major League Sports
2020: Office of the California Secretary of State, VoteSure: A Public Education Campaign Encouraging Voters to be Vigilant of Election Misinformation
2019: Office of the Iowa Secretary of State, Partnerships Pay Dividends: A Roadmap to Election Cybersecurity
2018: Office of the California Secretary of State, Digital Archives: A Public-Private Partnership with Google
2017: Office of the Arkansas Secretary of State, Gov2Go App
2016: Office of the West Virginia Secretary of State, BIG Map
2015: Office of the Colorado Secretary of State, Business Intelligence Center/Go Code Colorado
2014: Office of the Colorado Secretary of State, Colorado eLearning Program
2013: Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State, GeauxVote Mobile Program
2012: Office of the Nebraska Secretary of State, Online Rules Tracking Application
Nomination & Selection Information
The NASS Executive Board reviews and evaluates all eligible submissions for the award. The committee may select up to four finalists, with the final award recipient chosen by a vote of the full NASS membership
