Connecticut Receives the 2026 NASS IDEAS Award

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2026

Washington, D.C. — The members of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) have selected the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s Office as the 2026 IDEAS (Innovation, Dedication, Excellence and Achievement in Service) Award recipient for their “Next Gen Elections: College Students Powering the Polls” program.

Created in response to growing staffing needs following the expansion of early voting, the program helps strengthen the state’s election workforce by recruiting, training, and placing college students in polling locations across Connecticut.

The award was presented to Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas by Mississippi Secretary of State and NASS President Michael Watson on Thursday, July 16, during the 2026 NASS Summer Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota.

“Next Gen turned a staffing challenge into an opportunity for young people to serve,” said Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas. “Towns gained trained election workers, students gained hands-on experience, and Connecticut built a program that can offer a model for other states. Across our 2024 and 2025 cohorts, 77% of surveyed students said the experience motivated them to vote in every election and become more civically engaged. That means Next Gen is not only helping staff polling locations—it’s helping build a generation that shows up, votes, and stays involved.”

Secretary of State Offices in Iowa, Vermont and West Virginia were also recognized for their outstanding finalist submissions. Learn more about NASS’s IDEAS Award here.

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Media Contact:

NASS Communications
communications@nass.org