Registration information will be posted as each event approaches.
Orange County, CA
Auburn, AL
Election infrastructure is vital to the essential functioning and administration of elections. From voter registration databases to voting machines many systems of election administration critically utilize and depend upon information technology throughout the process. The Elections Security Checklist© will help guide
the election professional through the process of identifying the elements in your inventory of critical election systems. Next the Elections Security Checklist© steps the user through multiple risk assessments for each system followed by the physical, network, and application defensive measure assessments. The final stage of the evaluation addresses the various aspects of physical, network and application disaster recovery. What was formerly available to our members only, is now available to the entire election community with sincere compliments from The Election Center.
Preview the Elections Security Checklist© on line and download your copy for printing today.
How do socialization, mobilization, and legal structures help—or hinder—participation in the political process?
Once again, The Election Center is pleased to announce the ABC-CLIO publication of Why Don't Americans Vote?: Causes and Consequences by two of our esteemed CERA faculty at Auburn University:
Bridgett A. King, and Kathleen Hale.
"Elections not only determine who will fill an office; they have a lot to say about how the democratic process works—or doesn't work—in 21st-century America. This fascinating book sheds light on that question by focusing on factors that currently shape elections and political participation in the United States. It covers issues that are consistently in the media, such as gerrymandering; voter ID; and rules pertaining to when, where, and how Americans register and vote.
But it also goes beyond the obvious to consider issues that are often overlooked—civic education and engagement, citizen apathy, and political alienation, for example." - Publishers Website
Hard cover autographed copies signed by both authors will be for sale at The Election Center's 33rd Annual National Conference in Orange County, California, August 19-23, 2017. This is indispensable reading for election professionals. Be sure to pick up your copy.
Author Information:
Bridgett A. King, PhD, is assistant professor of political science at Auburn University, Auburn, AL, and an instructor in the Election Center's Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) program.
Kathleen Hale, JD, PhD, is associate professor of political science and director of the MPA program at Auburn University, Auburn, AL. She is a board member of the Election Center and an instructor in the Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) program.
June 7, 2017
(TAMPA BAY TIMES) For those of you who read only headlines, you may have been misled. There was no "vote hack." The sub-headline adds detail: "At least five elections offices received emails meant to compromise systems."
Are we vulnerable? Of course we are. But vulnerability isn't news to us, and it probably isn't news to anyone who works or uses a computer. So let's take a breath and look at what we know.
I spent 35 years in law enforcement — nobody has to convince me that there are bad actors in the world...
Craig Latimer, the writer is Hillsborough County supervisor of elections.
June 13, 2017
(EAC) On January 6, 2017, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson designated U.S. election systems as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure, a decision that was later affirmed by current DHS Secretary John Kelly. Since the designation was announced, state and local election officials across the country have raised questions about the day-to-day impact of the designation and how it will benefit their work to conduct accessible, accurate and secure elections. This document details DHS’s critical infrastructure designation and what election administrators can expect moving forward. It also provides a glossary of terms frequently used in conjunction with correspondence and discussions about the critical infrastructure designation.
June 5, 2017
(NY TIMES) An intelligence contractor was charged with sending a classified report about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election to the news media, the Justice Department announced Monday, the first criminal leak case under President Trump.
The case showed the department’s willingness to crack down on leaks, as Mr. Trump has called for in complaining that they are undermining his administration. His grievances have contributed to a sometimes tense relationship with the intelligence agencies he now oversees.
With the CERA/CERV graduation date upon us once again the time to act is now. Your completed Application for Graduation and payment must be received by the Election Center Office in Katy, TX by June 1, 2017 in order to graduate in August 2017 from the CERA/CERV Program. Please complete your Application For Graduation Form today!
So be sure to use this application form whether you are applying for Certified Elections Registration Administrator, Certified Elections Registration Vendor or Certified Elections Monitor.
May 23, 2017
(POLITICO) Hackers will target American voting machines—as a public service, to prove how vulnerable they are.
When over 25,000 of them descend on Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas at the end of July for DEFCON, the world’s largest hacking conference, organizers are planning to have waiting what they call “a village” of different opportunities to test how easily voting machines can be manipulated.
Our most recent Special Workshop entitled "The Changing Trends In Elections" provides an array of topics comprising: Updates in Registration and Elections Litigation, Modernization of the Voter Registration Process, Updates from the Measurement Project, Changes and Trends with Vote by Mail, Election Systems Critical Infrastructure, Survey Discussions from the EAC and FVAP as well as Polling Place Access Issues.
Individual presentations from the following agencies, offices and institutions included: Auburn University, Democracy Works, Department of Homeland Security, Electronic Registration Information Center, Federal Voting Assistance Program, King County Elections Director, Marion County Clerk, Office of Ohio Secretary of State, U.S. Government Accountability Office, United States Election Assistance Commission, and the Weber County Election Director.
It is that time of year again. The Professional Practices Program is an opportunity in which election officials can publicly share their successful practices. So, now is the time to put your best onto paper and share it with your colleagues. It is our hope that you will make time to help this program grow and to enrich our profession further. In order to evaluate and select winners and to prepare for the presentations at the National Conference, we have set a deadline of June 9, 2017 for submission of all papers. Download the coversheet and for more information please review our 2017 flyer below.
(NASS) SUMMARY - The National Association of Secretaries of State, which represents chief state election officials, announces the formation of a NASS Election Cybersecurity Task Force and the adoption of a bipartisan resolution opposing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's January 2016 classification of election infrastructure as "critical infrastructure."
"We are calling on the new administration to rescind the critical infrastructure label for elections and return to the process that has been in place for more than 200 years to provide national security support for our highly-decentralized, low-connectivity electoral system. In the meantime, states will be working together to step up their preparedness against future cyber threats."
Our most recent Special Workshop entitled "Voter Registration And Elections Security" provides hands on advice, insights and recent updates from your colleagues concerning Voter Registration as well as facets of election administration impacting Elections Security. Review the presentations from the following individuals: Scott Wiedmann, Matt Crane, Janice Case, Jeramy Gray, Mitchell Brown, Kathleen Hale Wesley Wilcox, Mark Listes and Whitney Quesenbery.
The Election Center is pleased to announce the Palgrave Macmillan publication of Administering Elections: How American Elections Work written by three of our esteemed CERA faculty at Auburn University; Kathleen Hale, Robert Montjoy, & Mitchell Brown.
Since the 2000 presidential election, attention to and scholarship about American elections have exploded alongside myriad proposals for election reform. This book provides a framework for a broader understanding of this critical dimension of American democracy by providing a digest and analysis of contemporary American election administration practices. Using a systems perspective, the authors provide policymakers, election officials, candidates, Read More...
