2003 National Symposium on Election Reform

Who Should Attend?
• Secretaries of State
• Members of State Election
Boards and Commissions
• State Election Directors
• County Clerks
• Registrars of Voters
• County Election Directors
• County Election Commissioners
• City Clerks
• City Election Directors

10Reasons to Attend
1 Understand the Critical Components of New Legislation
2 Preserve the Integrity of Your Elections
3 Learn to Anticipate Internal and External Risks
4 Study the Best Practices of Your
Colleagues
5 Avoid Mistakes by Utilizing the Most
Reliable Technology
6 Stay in Compliance with New Federal Mandates
7 Develop Training Programs for Poll
Workers
8 Ensure Accurate and Reliable Election
Administration
9 Locate and Tap into New Funding Resources
10 Ensure Every Vote – Every Single Vote – is Counted

Dear Election Administrator,

As an election administration professional, you are challenged on a daily basis with new mandates imposed from the Help America Vote Act of 2002, while simultaneously juggling your own local electoral nuances. Recent legislation and election reform initiatives require your agency to fulfill these mandates and restore integrity to the electoral process.

Embarrassing election debacles have compounded the problem, making clear that the standards that guided elections for years have become unacceptable. You need to equip yourself with the tools, knowledge, and techniques that will ensure your office is in compliance with new federal mandates. Ensuring accurate and coordinated election administration is crucial to staying aligned with HAVA and the spirit of democracy. That’s why I invite you to attend the 2003 National Symposium on Election Reform, being hosted April 29 and 30, 2003 at the Performance Institute in Arlington, VA. The symposium offers two days of expertly facilitated sessions providing informative and innovative strategies and solutions to the challenges faced by election officials.

Implement and Administer Efficient, Reliable and Compliant Elections
Successfully implementing and administering a reliable and compliant election will be crucial in your adherence to HAVA. Experienced election officials, technology experts, and federal, state and local professionals will share strategies, lessons learned, best practices, and administration tactics to ensure accurate, reliable, and efficient election administration. Members of key federal agencies will identify key mandates that you absolutely must be ready for.

Increase Awareness through Voter Education
Educating citizens and increasing voter participation while simultaneously administering timely and accurate elections will determine your success in your next primary. At this symposium, you will learn how to balance both efforts effectively.

Identify Internal and External Risks
Learn from experts in the areas of implementation, administration, and study best practices to ensure you are prepared when subsidies are appropriated. Anticipating factors that could effect administration on Election Day is crucial to protecting the accuracy and integrity of the election.
You owe it to the citizens who vote in your elections to ensure that every vote – every single vote – is counted. Don’t let a lack of preparedness on the parts of your and your election staff ruin spoil that basic tenet of American democracy.

I hope you will join us for this cutting-edge conference. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.

Leslie Ferragut

Associate Director
The Performance Institute

Agenda and Speaking Faculty

Day One: April 29th, 2003
8:00	Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30	Keynote Address: What HAVA Means to You Today… and Tomorrow The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was historic in that it provided funding to aid state and local election officials in modernizing the ballot collection process. Following the 2000 elections, state and local election officials, in conjunction with the federal government, are facing the tremendous responsibility of administering accurate, reliable elections and upholding the highest ethical standards. Congress has made tremendous efforts in passing legislation to promote integrity and restore faith in the democratic process, but it is up to local administrators to ensure those reforms are implemented. Discuss the challenges states are facing to comply with federal unsubsidized mandates while solving their own budget crises. Doug Chapin, Director of Electionline.org
9:30	Analyzing Mandates to Establish Implementation Strategies and Deadlines • Understand critical timeframes and mandates to gain a better understanding of your reform initiative timetable • Develop a clear implementation timeline and assess current funding and capabilities • Evaluate your current progress and establish short and long-term goals in conjunction with legislation Brian Hancock, Office of Election Administration, Federal Election Commission
10:30	Break
10:45	Taking Advantage of Funding Sources to Fulfill Unsubsidized Mandates Federal unsubsidized mandates will require state and local election officials to locate and tap into alternative funding resources to ensure federal compliance. This session will aid in the design, construction, monitoring and measurement of a grant program at the state and local levels. • Access and target early money from state and local grant programs • Establish a logical framework for grant writing • Review the regulations of federal awards • Locate grants for education of voters and poll workers • Discuss the challenges of administering within a crunched budget Veronica Gillespie *
11:45	Complying with Complex New Federal Mandates • Ensure your election administration is in line with federal mandates and the Department of Justice • Examine opportunities for states to receive federal funding for even minimal compliance • Establish audit mechanisms and preparedness Susan Frederick, National Conference of State Legislatures
12:15	Networking Luncheon
1:15	Anticipating Internal and External Risks Before They Occur This session will examine the risks associated with election administration to better prepare officials for avoiding unseen new pitfalls. It will highlight the risks associated with new technology and equipment, and in ascertaining voter intent, error correction, and user experience. • Discuss and identify constraints associated with punch card and butterfly ballots • Compare tabulated votes with registered votes • Evaluate current voter identification procedures and implement a HAVA-compliant system • Explore voter recount procedures and identify weaknesses • Database maintenance and technical experts on hand for system issues or failure. Ted Selker, Associate Professor, MIT Media Laboratory
2:15	Break
2:30	Improving and Implementing a New Statewide Voter Registration System • Develop an interactive, statewide voter registration system with increased access • Improve database accuracy and implement anti-fraud measures • Maintain and verify the accuracy produced by your registration system Chris Thomas, Director, Michigan State Elections
3:30	Outsourcing Election Functions with a Performance-Based Contract Learn how to create a framework for a successful performance-based contracting and outsourcing plan for your election administration. • Establish a logical framework for writing performance-based contracts • Manage and assess project management • Keep tabs on contractors to ensure results Carl DeMaio, Reason Public Policy Institute, The Performance Institute
4:30	Adjourn

Day Two: April 30th, 2003
8:30	Continental Breakfast
9:00	Voting System Standards Sessions These four sessions will detail various mandates within HAVA that require elections to provide access to individuals with special needs. Each panelist represents an association or organization that Title III Requirements demand state and local officials implement and enforce. These sessions will also lead you to resources to help implement these provisions and create uniform standards. • Session A) Voting Accessibility for the Disabled o Gain insight into the facilitation of accessible voting equipment and procedures for the disabled o Discuss funding and identify costs associated with disability facilitation o Study the physical access to polling sites Jim Dixon, Vice President of Disability Projects, National Organization on Disability* • Session B) Writing Multi-lingual Ballots and Bringing Out Minority Voters o Design and implement a plan of action to educate and increase awareness of minority voters o Learn how to implement multi-lingual voting instructions and ballots ensuring all voters have fair representation o Address specific constraints associated with incorporating multiple languages into electronic voting systems Rashad Robinson, National Field Director, Center for Voting and Democracy
10:30	Break
	• Session C) Coordinating Absentee and Military Votes o Examine the collaborative efforts required to account for the timeliness and accuracy of these critical votes o Study the collaborative efforts between election officials and the United States Postal Service o Ensure military, overseas and absentee voters are accurately reflected in necessary registration systems Polli Brunelli, Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program • Session D) Implementing and Administering the Provisional Vote o Learn how to establish guidelines for determining voter eligibility o Identify the risks associated with determining voter eligibility after the ballot is cast. o Avoid delays in tallying votes while eligibility is being researched Margaret Sims, Office of Election Administration, Federal Election Commission
12:15	Networking Lunch
1:15	Recruiting and Training of Poll Workers Discuss the key components of a training curriculum and initiate the development of policies and procedures to ensure effective training administration. The session will also focus on accreditation of programs with refreshment courses. • Overcome internal and external factors that could hinder a training curriculum • Tap into and explore additional recruitment sources and incentives • Examine effective training programs and learn from ineffective strategies Jeanette Senecal, Senior Manager of Elections, League of Women Voters Education Fund
2:15	Break
2:30	Developing Voter Education Programs Wade through the many programs and options available to implement voter education programs through state and local agencies. Learn about innovative and effective programs, and target specific programs and techniques that have failed in the past. Nancy Tate, Executive Director, League of Women Voters*
3:30	Case Study: Georgia’s Voting System Overhaul Georgia has taken tremendous steps to improve its voting systems and election administration. Its recent $54 million dollar contract made Georgia the first state in the nation to acquire a uniform voting system that will greatly improve facilitation, accuracy, and efficiency of elections. This session will provide an overview of Georgia’s election reform initiatives and innovation in implementing these in your state and local elections. • Examine Georgia’s 21st Century Voting Commission and its oversight on voting system bids • Analyze bid assessment and contract evaluation • Study Georgia’s strategies for removing deceased voters and convicted felons from voter registration lists Michael Barnes, Georgia State Board of Elections*
4:15	Adjourn

Venue
The 2003 National Symposium on Election Reform will be held at the Performance Institute in Arlington, VA, just one block east of the Courthouse Metro stop on the Orange Line. A public parking garage is located inside the building.

The Performance Institute
1515 N. Courthouse Road, Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22201
703-894-0481
A continental breakfast and catered lunch be provided
for all delegates.

Hotel
The Performance Institute is located just two blocks from the Hilton Garden Inn, where a limited number of $155 per night. Please call the hotel below to make reservations, and be sure to ask for The Performance Institute conference rate. The hotel will ensure that your conference experience is not only educational, but also comfortable and enjoyable in every aspect.

Hilton Garden Inn
1333 N. Courthouse Road
Arlington, VA 22201
703-528-4444
fax 703-528-4933

Tuition
The tuition rate for attending the 2003 National Symposium on Election Reform is............ $995.

Group Discounts
Reduced tuition rates for delegates who attend in groups of three or more are available by calling Blake Zach at 703-894-0481, or by e-mailing him at [email protected].

Administrative Note: A 10% cancellation fee on registration will be charged for cancellations received less than three weeks from the date of the conference. As speakers are confirmed six months before the event, some speaker changes or topic changes may occur in the program. The Performance Institute is not responsible for speaker changes, but will work to ensure a comparable speaker is located to participate in the program.