EAC to Host Data Summit in Philadelphia July 12

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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission will host its 2018 Election Data Summit next week on July 12 in Philadelphia, PA. Here’s the announcement:

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission and Pennsylvania Department of State will host an Election Data Summit at the Community College of Philadelphia from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 12, 2018. The gathering will take place prior to the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) summer conferences in Philadelphia. This unique summit will bring together some of the nation’s most respected election data experts to examine ways election officials can use all types of data to improve processes and inform decision making. Each of the summit’s four panels will focus on a distinct aspect of the election cycle and explore different sources for election data, including voter registration databases, electronic poll books, voting equipment, and post-election audits. 

And here is the agenda:

9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Robert Torres – Acting Secretary, PA Department of State

Thomas Hicks – Chairman, U.S. Election Assistance Commission

9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Panel I: Voter Registration

Voter registration data is the backbone of election information. In light of recent trends towards modernizing voter registration systems and processes and increased sharing of registration data among states, this panel will explore how voter registration data is used, collected, and shared.

Moderator: Christy McCormick – Vice Chair, EAC

Panelists:
• Lori Augino – Director of Elections, Office of the Secretary, Washington State
• Mike Moser – Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Commissions, Elections & Legislation, PA DOS
• Ericka Haas – Systems Engineer & Technical Liaison, ERIC
• Don Palmer – Policy Advisor, EAC

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Panel II: Election Day Preparation

A lot goes into preparing for Election Day, especially when “Election Day” can be a weeks-long event with early voting now available in many states. Panelists will discuss using data to recruit poll workers and distribution of voting machines and other resources.

Moderator: Professor Charles Stewart III – Director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab

Panelists:

• Neal Kelley – Registrar of Voters, Orange County, CA
• Melissa Frey – Special Assistant to the Director, PA Emergency Management Agency
• Ben Uminsky – Project Manager, Business Intelligence Competency Center, Los Angeles County, CA

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch 

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Panel III: Election Day

Election Day is the culmination of months of preparation. This panel will look at many Election Day data sources including electronic poll books, line management tools, and voter call-in centers. Additionally, with millions of voters now casting their ballots by mail, other sources of data and tools such as mail ballot trackers and electronic signature verification will be discussed.

Moderator: Thomas Hicks – Chair, EAC

Panelists:

• Laura Herzog – Election Supervisor, Hendricks County, IN
• Michelle White – General Registrar, Prince William County, VA
• Amber McReynolds – Director of Elections for the City and County of Denver, CO
• Erin Casey – Executive Director, Pennsylvania Voice

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Break

3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Panel IV: Post Election

The data source voters and candidates typically care most about is of course the ballot count. However, election officials have many other data sources and tools at their disposal to inform their post-election processes and review exercises. Panelists will discuss post-election data sources including post-election audits, provisional ballot resolution tools, and after-action reports and evaluations.

Moderator: Kathy Boockvar – Senior Advisor to the Governor on Elections

Panelists:

• Rey Valenzuela – Director of Elections, Maricopa County, AZ
• Jennifer Morrell – Election Validation Project, Democracy Fund
• Kara Rahn – Director of Elections, Chester County, PA
• Bridgett King – Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Auburn University

4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks

The EAC’s last Data Summit was a huge success and well-attended; this one should also be fascinating and will have election officials (and geeks!) from across the nation in attendance given the proximity to the NASS/NASED meetings. Space is limited; to register, go to this link to claim your spot! Stay tuned …