[Image via eac]

On Tuesday, January 14, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission will hold its 2020 Elections Summit at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Here’s the announcement from the agency’s press release:

Ahead of the 2020 elections, the EAC is hosting an all-day summit to highlight important issues facing state and local election officials as they work to prepare for the 2020 primaries and general elections. State and local election officials, representatives from federal agencies that support elections, and other key election stakeholders will discuss election security and combating foreign interference in elections, preparing for high turnout, ensuring access for voters with disabilities and limited English proficiency, and recruiting and training effective poll workers, among other topical issues.

Here’s the current agenda:

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Doors Open / Registration
9:30 – 9:50 a.m. Welcoming Remarks

The chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and two secretaries of state will provide welcoming remarks and set the stage for the day’s discussions.

Speakers:
+ Christy McCormick, EAC Chairwoman
+ Hon. Jim Condos, Secretary of State, Vermont
+ Hon. Kyle Ardoin, Secretary of State, Louisiana

9:50 – 10:50 a.m. Panel 1: Preparing for High Turnout

This panel will focus on issues faced by election officials as they prepare for expected high turnout in the 2020 elections, including strategies for resource allocation and avoiding long lines at the polls.

Moderator: Ben Hovland, EAC Vice Chair

Panelists:
+ Hon. Frank LaRose, Secretary of State, Ohio
+Hon. Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State, Michigan
+ Tammy Patrick, Senior Advisor, Elections, Democracy Fund
+ Meghan Kelly, State Legislative Affairs Specialist, Federal Voting Assistance Program

10:50 – 11:10 a.m. Break

11:10 – 11:30 a.m. Remarks

The Election Threats Executive for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will provide an overview of the threat landscape as it relates to foreign interference in elections and election security, and share information on the intelligence community’s efforts to coordinate and respond to these threats.

Speaker:
+ Shelby Pierson, Election Threats Executive, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Panel 2: Ensuring Accessibility in Elections

This panel will focus on election officials’ efforts to support voters with access needs in the 2020 elections. Discussion topics will include serving voters with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency, and compliance with accessibility requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and Voting Rights Act.

Moderator: Tom Hicks, EAC Commissioner

Panelists:
+ Michelle Bishop, Voting Rights Specialist, National Disability Rights Network
+ Barry Stephenson, Chair, Board of Registrars, Jefferson County, Alabama
+ Terrica Jennings, Attorney Advisor, ADA Coordinator, D.C. Board of Elections
+ Patty Hansen, Recorder, Coconino County, Arizona

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch break

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Panel 3: Securing the 2020 Elections

This panel will focus on the efforts of election officials and their federal partners to secure U.S. election infrastructure in the lead up to the 2020 elections. Discussion topics will include protecting election infrastructure against cybersecurity threats and foreign interference, lessons from the 2018 elections, the use of 2018 and 2020 HAVA funds, and the work of the Election Infrastructure Subsector Government Coordination Council (GCC).

Moderator: Christy McCormick, EAC Chairwoman, GCC Executive Committee Member

Panelists:
+Geoff Hale, Director, Election Security Initiative, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
+ Keith Ingram, Texas Director of Elections, President of the National Association of State Election Directors, GCC Executive Committee Member
+ David Stafford, Supervisor of Elections, Escambia County, Florida, GCC Executive Committee Member
+ Ron Bushar, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Government Solutions, FireEye

2:30 – 2:50 p.m. Break

2:50 – 3:50 p.m. Panel 4: Overcoming Election Day and Poll Worker Challenges

This panel will focus on issues faced by election officials related to poll workers and other Election Day challenges. Discussion topics will include strategies for poll worker recruitment and training, implementing election policy change at the ground level, deploying electronic poll books and new voting equipment, and supporting poll workers to ensure accessibility in the polling place.

Moderator: Don Palmer, EAC Commissioner

Panelists:
+ Dean Logan, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Los Angeles County, California
+ Doris Clark, Recorder, Navajo County, Arizona
+ Ron Turner, Supervisor of Elections, Sarasota County, Florida
+ Karen A. Yarbrough, Clerk, Cook County, Illinois
+ Gary Scott, General Registrar and Director of Elections, Fairfax County, Virginia

3:50 – 4:00 p.m. Closing Remarks

Registration is required for anyone attending in person – in addition, the summit will be livestreamed at the EAC website. It looks like a fantastic lineup of speakers and topics and should be a great day for the nation’s election community as it prepares for the 2020 election; hope to see you there! Stay tuned …

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