EAC Roundtables Recap
from: Jessica Myers on
Jul 05, 2012
EAC Roundtables Recap
In the past year, the EAC hosted six roundtables on several topics in an effort to promote discussion and planning for the Presidential Election in November 2012. We thought that this relatively quiet period between Presidential Preference Primaries and the next round of Primaries (set to kick off at the end of this month), we would recap all of the roundtables so far and provide links to them in one place.
Before we get in to the recap, we take this opportunity to announce that we will hold on more roundtable prior to the Presidential Election, but will provide more information later in the summer. Also, thank you to all of the participants in each of these roundtables!
Getting Ready for November
The EAC hosted a roundtable discussion on June 19, 2012 about what to expect and how to prepare for November and beyond. Participants shared ideas and strategies about voting system preparation, ballot preparation, voter education, polling places, voter turnout, provisional ballots and more. The roundtable was moderated by Merle King, Executive Director, Center for Election Systems (Georgia), Kennesaw State University.
Participants included:
· Katie Blinn, Co-Director of Election, Secretary of State, Washington
· Sonia Campos, Program Analyst, Election Official Assistance Division, FVAP
· Sue Edman, Executive Director, Election Commission, Milwaukee
· Lance Gough, Executive Director, Board of Election Commissioners, Chicago
· Brad King, Co-Director, Indiana Election Division
· Judy Schwartu, Election Specialist, Minneapolis
· Cliff Tatum, Executive Director, Board of Elections and Ethics, Washington, D.C.
The webcast, agenda and discussion questions are available here.
EAC Clearinghouse
The EAC hosted a roundtable discussion on March 20, 2012 to highlight and build on EAC’s role as a national clearinghouse and resource for election officials around the country. This roundtable will provide a national platform for participants to share ideas and strategies for improving the administration of elections in the United States. The roundtable was moderated by Merle King, Executive Director, Center for Election Systems (Georgia), Kennesaw State University.
Participants included:
- Doug Chapin, Director, Program for Excellence in Election Administration, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
- Barbara Dunmore, Assistant Registrar of Voters, El Dorado County, California
- Jackie C. Harris, CERA; Policy Director, West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office
- Joseph Losco, Chair, Department of Political Science, Ball State University
- Ernie L. McClellan, Jr., Training Manager, Kansas City Missouri Election Board
- Steve Moreno, Clerk and Recorder , Weld County, Colorado
- Tammy Patrick, Federal Compliance Officer, Maricopa County, Arizona
- Thomas R. Wilkey, former Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission; former Executive Director, New York State Board of Elections
The webcast, agenda and discussion questions are available here.
Voting System Preparation
On November 17, 2011, the EAC hosted a roundtable to discuss pre-election voting system preparations. The goal of this roundtable was to provide a national platform to share cost-efficient procedures and best practices for conducting voting system preparation activities. The roundtable was moderated by Merle King, Executive Director, Center for Election Systems (Georgia), Kennesaw State University.
Participants included:
- Paul Aumayr, Voting Systems Manager, Maryland State Board of Elections
- Patty Hansen, Election Administrator, Coconino County, Arizona
- Ian Harlow, Deputy Commissioner, Pennsylvania Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation
- James Long, Computer Engineer, U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- Jon Marks, Commissioner, Pennsylvania Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation
- Noah Praetz, Deputy Director of Elections, Clerk’s Office, Cook County Illinois
The webcast, agenda and discussion questions are available here.
Contingency Planning
On September 20, 2011, the EAC hosted a roundtable to discuss contingency planning in elections. The goal of this roundtable was to provide real world contingency planning solutions and strategies to election officials around the country as they prepare for the 2012 federal elections. The roundtable was moderated by Merle King, Executive Director, Center for Election Systems (Georgia), Kennesaw State University.
Participants included:
- Keith Cunningham, Special Projects Manager, Ohio Secretary of State’s Office
- Charles Jagneaux, Clerk of Court, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
- Shelley McThomas, Director, Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners
- Damon Penn, Assistant Administrator of the National Continuity Programs (NCP) Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Trevor Riggen, Senior Director of Disaster Services, American Red Cross
- Ed Smith, Dominion Voting Systems
- Stan Stanart, Clerk, Harris County, Texas
The webcast, agenda and discussion questions are available here.
Design Counts in Elections
In August 2011, the EAC hosted a roundtable to discuss the importance of thoughtful design in election materials. The goal of the roundtable was to take the guess work out of designing ballots and polling place signs. Using simple design principles come with few costs yet yield huge benefits for the American electorate. The roundtable was moderated by Merle King, Executive Director, Center for Election Systems (Georgia), Kennesaw State University.
Participants included:
- Amy Bunk, Chairperson, Plain Language Action and Information Network; Director, Legal Affairs and Policy, Office of the Federal Register, United States National Archives and Records Administration
- Drew Davies, Oxide Design Co.
- Elizabeth Ensley Deiter, Election Commissioner, Shawnee County, KS
- Ron Gardner, EAC Board of Advisors;U.S. Access Board Member
- Larry Herrera, City Clerk, Long Beach, CA
- Whitney Quesenbery, WQuasbility
- Wendy Underhill, National Conference on State Legislatures
The webcast, agenda and discussion questions are available here.
Voting Goes Viral: New Media in Elections (June 17, 2011)
The first roundtable in the series leading up to November 2012 was held in June 2011. The purpose of the roundtable was to host a discussion that could ultimately contribute to the public having credible, reliable and timely social media sources about elections. The roundtable was moderated by Merle King, Executive Director, Center for Election Systems (Georgia), Kennesaw State University.
Participants included:
· Martin Austermuhle, Senior Editor, DCist.com
· Chris Chambless, Supervisor of Elections, Clay County, Florida
· Dana Chisnell, Usability in Civic Life Project
· Alysoun McLaughlin, Public Affairs Manager, District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics
· Brian Newby, Election Commissioner, Johnson County, Kansas
· Lee Rainie, Project Director, Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
· Chuck Todd, Political Director, NBC News (scheduled to attend at 1 p.m.)
The webcast, agenda and discussion questions are available here.
If you have additional questions, please contact Jessica Myers at jmyers@eac.gov or via Twitter (@EACgov).
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