[NFBMT] Corey Stapleton

[BRESLAUERS]

Montana Quietly Leading The Way

by Corey Stapleton

________________________________________

Bold is in. Drama is king. Audacity is cool.

But when it comes to managing Montana's election systems, we have taken a
different tack.  

Our office has been thoughtful.  Quietly, we have improved nearly every
aspect of running Montana elections.

 

When my administration began in 2017, we changed the name of the Secretary of
State's election division from 'Election and Government Services' to
'Election and Voter Services'.  Our changed focus from government to voters
was intentional.  Every day, we place the interests of voters first.

 

For fifteen years, nobody in Montana had been able to solve what to do with
the AutoMARK voting kits.  Every county clerk in Montana had these aging,
bulky election machines which were rarely used.  AutoMARKs had never lived up
to the hype of adequately serving the disability community.

 

We solved the AutoMARK problem.  I crafted compromise legislation which
bridged the needs of the disability community with an acceptable physical
ballot.  This was huge.  This paved the way for using lighter, modern voting
machines in Montana, and we provided money to all 56 counties for purchasing
at least one new machine per local precinct.

 

That was a big story of compromise you likely never heard.

 

This year, we've continued to invest money directly into Montana's local
election offices.  Every single county has increased security via two-factor
authentication, and every county has opportunities (and funding from our
Office) to upgrade technology.

 

In three short years I have directed $2.6 million to Montana counties.  We
have increased the security of elections, increased the integrity of mail
ballots, promoted high voter turnout, maintained valuable communication and
respect with Indian reservations, and worked tirelessly with legislators,
National Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security.

 

Quietly, we've gone on about our business.  And our business?  Serving you!

 

Sincerely,

Corey Stapleton

Montana Secretary of State

 

The Mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to help commerce
thrive, promote democracy, and record history for future generations.

 

State Capitol Building 

1301 E. 6th Avenue 

Helena, MT 59601  

406.444.2034

sosmt.gov  

       

Joy Breslauer, First Vice President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> 

 

Live the life you want

 

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want.