FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Minneapolis – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Board of Advisors elected new officers during its May 23-24 meeting in Minneapolis. The newly elected officers include Board Chair Sarah Ball Johnson, who is the City Clerk for Colorado Springs, Colo., Board Vice Chair Michael Winn, who is Director of Elections for Travis County, Tex., and Board Secretary Michael Yaki, who is a Commissioner with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
“The EAC’s Board of Advisors provides crucial guidance that shapes the commission’s mission,” said EAC Vice Chairman Thomas Hicks, the board’s Designated Federal Officer. “We congratulate the board’s newly elected leadership and look forward to working with its full membership to improve voter experience and election procedures.”
The Board of Advisors meeting to discuss the accessibility, accuracy and security of federal elections began with a video welcome from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and featured a keynote address from Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. It will also feature presentations from EAC Chairman Matthew Masterson and Vice-Chairman Hicks, as well as presentations from election experts from across the nation and representatives from the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
The EAC Board of Advisors was established under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and is currently comprised of 35 members who assist the EAC in carrying out its mandates under the law. Among its members are the following groups, as specified by HAVA (two members appointed by each): National Governors Association; National Conference of State Legislatures; National Association of Secretaries of State; The National Association of State Election Directors; National Association of Counties; The U.S. Conference of Mayors; Election Center; The National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks; International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and Treasurers; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. Other members include representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Integrity, and the Civil Rights Division; the director of the U.S. Department of Defense Federal Voting Assistance Program; four professionals from the field of science and technology, one each appointed by the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Majority and Minority leaders of the U.S. Senate; and eight members representing voter interests, with the chairs and the ranking minority members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration each appointing two members. Following the passage of HAVA, the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks and the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and Treasurers have now merged to form the International Association of Government Officials.
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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.