To support state efforts aimed at establishing sound administrative election practices in emergency conditions, Nevada Secretary of State and National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) President Ross Miller and NASS members today announce the formation of a Task Force on Emergency Preparedness for Elections. The task force is a national initiative, formed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which struck the East Coast just days before the presidential election on November 6, 2012. The effort will focus on identifying laws and practices that enhance the ability of state election officials to prepare for, and respond to, emergency situations.
“Our members want to identify the strategies that worked well for election officials who dealt with the fallout from Hurricane Sandy while avoiding major disruptions to voting on Election Day, and more importantly, find some cost-effective ways in which states can better prepare for such emergency scenarios in the future,” remarked NASS President Ross Miller of Nevada, who serves on the task force. “By bringing together a diverse group of Secretaries of State and independent state election chiefs, we hope to offer guidance that will improve the collective capabilities of the states.”
Miller named Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill and Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler to lead the national task force, which includes chief state election officials from twenty-two states and the District of Columbia. Members will work with a wide array of stakeholders, including federal and state emergency management officials, as NASS develops a white paper with guidance for states.
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