CATEGORY: NASS
Highlights from the NASS 2017 Winter Conference
For Immediate Release
February 22, 2017
WASHINGTON, DC - Forty-one Secretaries of State and Lieutenant Governors gathered in Washington, DC for this year's annual winter meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), held on February 15 through February 18. The four-day event focused on policy issues and programs of mutual interest to state members, as well as federal-state relations.
In addition to introducing newly-elected members from Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Puerto Rico and West Virginia, highlights from the meeting include the following:
NASS Election Cybersecurity Task Force: Members voted to create a state information-sharing body to develop and advance NASS priorities and plans on election cybersecurity. More
Resolutions: The following NASS policy resolutions were approved at this meeting on February 18, 2017:
- NASS Resolution Opposing the Designation of Elections as Critical Infrastructure
- NASS Resolution Reaffirming the NASS Approach to Federal Legislation
Resources for States: The following resources were introduced for member use at this meeting:
- NASS Business Identity Theft Task Force Findings & Suggestions for States
- NASS eNotarization Implementation Guide (2017)
Organizational Review:
NASS will be reviewing association procedures and bylaws for submitting and vetting policy resolutions based on outcomes at this meeting.
Margaret Chase Smith Award: Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett jointly presented Richard Fulton, son of former Nashville mayr and congressman Richard Fulton, with the 2016 NASS Margaret Chase Smith Award for political courage. Fulton was honored for being one of the first and most prominent southern officials to support the Voting Rights Act and civil rights issues in the 1960s.
IDEAS Award: The following member offices were announced as national finalists for the NASS 2017 IDEAS Award competition, recognizing innovation and excellence in state programming:
o Arkansas Secretary of State – Gov2Go
o Connecticut Secretary of State - Secretary’s Legal Assistance Project
o Delaware Secretary of State - Inspiration Spaces
o Iowa Secretary of State - Helping Veterans and Iowans with Disabilities Vote
All finalists will be invited to showcase their programs at the NASS 2017 Summer Conference in Indianapolis this July 7-10, where the national recipient will be announced and recognized.
Corporate Affiliate White Papers: Each year, NASS corporate affiliates submit white papers showcasing their expertise.
- How Technology Can Improve the Election Day Voter Experience
(Election Systems & Software) - What to Know in an Elections-As-Critical-Infrastructure World
(Everyone Counts) - Innovation for Today’s Consumer of Government Services
(GCR/PCC) - Voting System Procurement Prep: 4 Steps to an Informed Choice
(Hart InterCivic) - Roadmap for Technology in Government
(NIC) - Petition Management: Current Practices with Hope for Automated Enhancements
(Runbeck) - Why Online Voting May be the Answer to Poor Voter Turnout
(Smartmatic) - Protecting and Analyzing Data; Trends and Holistic Approaches for State and Local Governments
(Sutherland)
Workshops/Speakers: Conference speakers represented a diverse array of public and private sector entities, including: Center for Election Innovation and Research, Center for Election Systems at Kennesaw State University, Council of State Governments, Democracy Fund, Facebook, Financial Services Roundtable, Harvard University, Indiana Archives and Records Administration, Intel Corporation, Lighthouse Consulting LLC, National Association of Attorneys General, National Conference of State Legislatures, Merchants Bonding Company, NALEO, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Nonprofit Vote, NIST, Porter Novelli, Sister Cities International, Tucker Ellis LLP, Uniform Law Commission,U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the White House.
To see full conference agenda, click HERE.
Watch: See the NASS conference Democracy Fund discussion on voter confidence in elections on C-SPAN click HERE.
Engage: Follow NASS on Twitter @NASSorg | #NASScon.
Browse:Conference photos are posted to our Facebook page.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Kay Stimson, Dir. of Communications | 202.624.3528 |kstimson@sso.org
