Excellent Improvements in Elections

Indiana’s Certificates in Election Administration, Know-how and Safety (CEATS), a partnership between the Indiana Secretary of State’s Workplace and Ball State College, was acknowledged for Excellent Improvements in Elections.

The CEATS program offers an revolutionary collegiate degree certificates program designed to offer substantive, researched-based, coaching and training for election directors.

“The CEATS program fills a right away want within the state of Indiana by having one academic expertise to professionalize election directors,” stated Dr. Bryan Byers, co-director of VSTOP (Voting System Technical Oversight Program) at Ball State College. “This award acknowledges the pioneering work of our program and the constructive influence we’re having in our partnership with the Indiana Secretary of State, the Indiana Election Fee, and the hard-working election officers in all 92 Indiana counties.”

All through one-year and 170 program hours, the Certificates in Election Administration, Know-how and Safety offers instruction and experiential coaching on:

Election personnel coaching and administration

Info expertise and safety fundamentals

Operations and troubleshooting of voting programs and digital ballot books

Individuals additionally full capstone initiatives and interact in mentorship with program school and state election officers. Capstone initiatives are designed to be helpful within the participant’s county.

Excellent Election Official Affiliation Program

The Indiana Election Division and Indiana County Clerks Affiliation’s Annual Election Administrator’s Convention was honored for Excellent Election Official Affiliation Program.

The Indiana Election Division and the Indiana County Clerk’s Affiliation have traditionally supplied knowledgeable class for state election officers, directors, and employees by way of the annual Election Administrator’s Convention. The 2021 convention, expanded from two days to a few, was distinctive as a result of variety of subjects lined, publications delivered, thoroughness, {and professional} presentation.

The convention additionally noticed a record-setting attendance of over 450 election officers and employees from all through the state. Consequently, front-line elections staff obtain intensive coaching and are stored updated on present points, permitting them the arrogance and data to offer environment friendly, safe, and dependable elections to the residents of Indiana.

Ball State’s Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) program was additionally named an honorable point out within the class of Excellent Use of HAVA (the Assist America Vote Act) Grants in Election Modernization.

The VSTOP crew advises the Indiana Secretary of State and the Indiana Election Fee on the certification of voting machines and digital ballot books in Indiana. VSTOP helped pioneer first-in-the-nation laws authorizing the certification and testing of digital ballot books earlier than they’re permitted for use in elections in Indiana.

The Clearinghouse Awards, also called the “Clearie” Awards, are offered yearly throughout the U.S. for greatest practices in election administration by the U.S. Election Help Fee (EAC). Established by the Assist America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the EAC is charged with serving as a clearinghouse for election administration data. To additional this mission, the EAC launched the Clearies in 2016 to advertise greatest practices in elections and rejoice the accomplishments of election officers.

Winners had been chosen by unbiased panels of election officers and members from the EAC’s advisory boards, with the EAC Commissioners serving as judges for the sticker class.