Council of State Governments Invites WV to Participate in National Discussion on Election Cybersecurity

Charleston, W.Va. — The Council of State Governments is a national organization that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials shape public policy. Founded in 1933, the Council offers state and national leaders the opportunity to collaborate on, create and discuss problem-solving initiatives facing today’s elected officials and administrators.

The Council’s 2018 National Conference will be held December 6-8 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky. Several hundred national, state and local leaders will attend the event. One of the most anticipated topics of discussion is a comprehensive panel on election cybersecurity hosted by The Democracy Fund. Two key advisors to the Secretary on election security, Assistant to the Chief of Staff Adam Young and Elections Specialist Nathan Martin, will represent Secretary Warner at the conference.

Because of the state’s leadership in this area, the Council invited the WV Secretary of State’s Office to be their guest at the conference. West Virginia is a leader in developing best practices and protocols to secure election administration, processes and procedures. The Mountain State’s emphasis on technology, voting system upgrades, voter list maintenance, voter registration and election officials’ training are often recognized at the national level by experts in the field, the federal government and the media.

“This is yet another great example of West Virginia’s efforts and accomplishments of leading the nation in planning for and providing free, fair and secure elections,” said Secretary of State Mac Warner.

“Our partnership with our 55 county clerks has never been more effective than it is today. When we work together, we give our citizens confidence that every vote cast by a qualified, registered voter is properly secured and counted. When that confidence is provided, voter participation and the overall integrity of the election increases,” Warner said.