All good things come to an end

Keeping costs down is an important part of my job as Indiana's chief election officer. Like I do here in Indiana, I also advise the federal government on how to make elections more efficient and cost effective. Earlier this month, I completed six years of service as an advisor to the federal government on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Board of Advisors and other boards. During my time on the EAC, I urged the federal government to use technology to increase the efficiency of the voting process. Greater efficiency leads to greater confidence in the system, which ultimately leads to greater participation.

I encouraged the EAC to recommend to local governments that all costs be considered before purchasing voting machines. Local governments need to evaluate their entire voting process before investing in more voting machines. During my final EAC board meeting, I made a motion to ensure the accountability of the Commission. This motion requires the EAC to be held accountable to its state and local advisors. The motion passed unanimously.

Requiring voters to show a photo ID at the polls is one of the ways that we in Indiana have increased efficiency and accountability in the system. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear a case against Georgia's similar photo ID law. I attribute this to the fact that Indiana has already established that Voter ID is not only fair, but also creates more accurate and accountable elections. With the denial of the Georgia petition, the Supreme Court has further validated this.

Voter ID, of course, was only the beginning. My office was able to implement changes that allow us to operate on the same state general fund budget, unadjusted for inflation, as that of the secretary of state in 1987. We continue to dedicate ourselves to bringing Indiana into the 21^st century through innovation. For example, three counties participated in our Vote Center pilot during the last election. These Vote Centers reported a significant decrease in operational costs compared to previous elections. This is the kind of technology and thinking that can keep Indiana on the cutting edge in the 21^st Century.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita

Indiana Secretary of State