State Secretaries of State

Guardians of the Democratic Process

Jocelyn F. Benson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781317050346
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Jurisprudence
• Index: Law

Nearly a decade after the 2000 Presidential elections invited a firestorm of questions about the sanctity of our democratic process, there continues to be a heightened interest in the role of state-wide elections officials, typically the state's Secretary of State - this book looks into their pivotal role in the promotion of a healthy democracy. Much past interest has resulted in overly critical coverage of election errors, ignoring the tireless efforts that ensure the American citizens benefit from a democratic, inclusive and accountable election process. Through a series of case studies, anecdotes, and interviews with current and recent secretaries, State Secretaries of State author Jocelyn Benson readdresses this balance by providing the first in-depth study of the Secretary's role in registering voters, enforcing voting laws and regulations, overseeing elections, and certifying results. As such, it represents a much-needed contribution to the study of US elections, both in practice and in law.

Index

• absentee voting
  • impersonating voters 121
  • mistaken rejection 139–40
  • overseas voters 97–100
• access see voter accessibility
• accountability 30–5, 146–7
• advocacy see voter advocate role
• Advocating Change Day 74
• AIM Program 74
• Alabama see Chapman, Beth (Alabama Secretary of State)
• Anderson v. Celebrezze (1983) 5–6
• Andreade, Hope (Texas Secretary of State) 69
• Arizona see Brewer, Jan (Secretary of State)
• Arkansas see Daniels, Charles (Secretary of State) see also Priest, Sharon (Secretary of State)
• “assistance” fraud 122
• attorney qualification for Secretary of State 12–14
• audits of voting machines and ballot counting technology 108–10
• AutoMARK machines 39, 47, 48, 49, 94–5

• Baker, Nancy Kassebaum 44
• Baker v. Carr (1962) 2, 5
• ballot counting see also certifier role; see also technology
• bias see partisanship/nonpartisanship
• Blackwell, Kenneth (Ohio Secretary of State), 2004 election 21, 23, 61–2, 87–8, 105
• Blunt, Mary (Montana Secretary of State) 89
• Bowen, Debra (California Secretary of State) 102
  • educator role 68, 73, 78
  • electronic voting 105, 106–7, 108–9
  • legal and ethical perspective 13, 34
  • voter accessibility 96–7, 97–8
  • voter collaboration 53
  • voter registration 56, 59
  • Voting Rights Act (VRA/1965) 38
• Bradbury, Bill (Oregon Secretary of State) 1, 13, 28, 29, 34–5
  • campaign finance regulations 123
  • educator role 72
  • enforcer of election laws 115
  • voter collaboration 55–6
  • voter registration 42, 46–7
• Brewer, Jan (Arizona Secretary...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Preface
• The Preeminent Role of the State Secretary of State in Election Administration
• The Secretary and the Political Party
• The Secretary and Congressional Oversight
• The Secretary as Voter Advocate
• The Secretary as Voter Educator
• The Secretary as Election Reformer
• The Secretary and Voter Accessibility
• The Secretary as Voter Protector
• The Secretary as Enforcer
• The Secretary as Certifier: Recounts and Initiatives
• Conclusion: Secretaries, and Voters, as the Guardians of Democracy
• Index