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Santa Fe, NM - This week, Secretary of State Todd Rokita is meeting with fellow secretaries of state from around the country at their national association's summer conference in Santa Fe, NM. Wednesday, Rokita, who currently serves as Treasurer for the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), was installed as President-Elect of the organization and is slated to begin his term in 2007. Rokita and his peers are taking part in discussions addressing a variety of issues ranging from election administration challenges to new online business services initiatives.

"We are fortunate to have a national leader like Secretary Rokita take the helm of our organization throughout the 2008 presidential election," said Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. "I am pleased to have Kentucky's friend and neighbor, Todd Rokita, bring his progressive and forward-thinking reforms to the top of our national association."

Wednesday, Rokita also shared Indiana's April mock election test of its new statewide voter file system. Federal election officials in Washington, DC have singled out Indiana's mock election as a national model. "Having had such a successful test of our voter file prior to the May Primary, other states have inquired as to how we accomplished this," Rokita said. "Indiana had much to share with the rest of the country on how we got such a large number of counties to participate and what the process itself was like."

Monday, Rokita presented his office's partnership with county officials and a non-profit organization to send previously used voting equipment to the emerging democracy of Benin in West Africa. "Sharing this voting technology will create the confidence of people in the democratic system that will eventually lead to economic development within Benin," Rokita said. "Today we may only be sending voting machines abroad, but tomorrow these efforts may lead to the development of business relationships with a strong, democratic Benin and the creation of more jobs here at home."

Rokita challenged his fellow secretaries to join Indiana in helping foster democracy abroad while also assisting local counties with the surplus of election equipment collected since certain voting systems were replaced as a result of federal legislation. The initiative has received bipartisan support and praise. At a luncheon Wednesday, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a democrat, lauded Rokita and Indiana's plan to support democracy overseas and for finding a second life for the machines.

As Treasurer of the NASS Executive Board, Rokita's duties include handling the organization's finances and joining other Board members in the handling of general management and control of the business and direction of the Association. NASS is the nation's oldest professional, non-partisan organization of public officials and represents members from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. Secretary Rokita attended the NASS Summer Conference last July and presented Indiana's highly regarded provisional ballot voting plan, which has also been recognized as a national model.

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