PRESENTATION

“GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ALLIANCES”
By: Tony J. Sirvello III
Executive Director, IACREOT
International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers
United States of America

Greetings, the Honorable Zoltan Toth, Secretary General of the ACEEEO, Mr. Richard Soudriette, President of the International Foundation for Election Systems, distinguished panelists, delegates and guests, I am honored to participate on this panel and bring you a perspective on the abc’s of my organization, the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers (IACREOT).

Before I begin, let me tell you a few words on my background. Before assuming the position of Executive Director of IACREOT in 2002, I served as the Administrator of Elections for Harris County, Houston, Texas from 1973-2002, a jurisdiction of 1.8 million voters and the third largest county in the United States. As such, I feel very much at home among my fellow election officials from around the globe. I am very proud to have served as an Elections Administrator for over 25 years, bringing the most precious freedom we all enjoy – the right to vote – to the voters of my jurisdiction. The highlights of my career include serving on the Federal Election Commission Advisory Panel, testifying before the United States Congress on election legislation, being the first election official in the United States to email a ballot to an astronaut aboard the Space Station in 1997, serving as an international observer for the first democratic elections in Albania in 1997, serving as Past President of IACREOT in 1998-199, and currently representing IACREOT as a member of the Board of Advisors of the United States Election Commission.

The International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers was founded in 1971 by a small group of government officials who wanted a professional organization which would provide a forum for the free exchange of information, resulting in improved standards for serving the public, and an organization which would speak with a unified voice on matters of importance to its members. Over the past 34 years, IACREOT has grown in both membership and purpose. Professionalism in public service, openness and good fellowship became goals of our organization.

Today, IACREOT is one the most successful, well-respected organizations in the United States, with over 1500 members, representing local, state, provincial, national and international associations and agencies. Our members are government officials whose responsibilities fall into one of our four divisions – finance, land records, courts and elections. The elections division is the largest of the four divisions, as many of our members wear more than one hat in their respective offices.

As an association, IACREOT is governed by its By-Laws, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines. Our Executive Committee consists of 10 elected and 10 appointed positions. The Executive Committee meets three times annually – in the Fall, Mid-Winter and at our Annual Conference, held each summer in a city voted on by our delegates at a previous conference. Our Board of Directors consists of an elected representative from each of our member states and our international representatives. At our Annual Meeting, all delegates participate in the business of the organization, elect officers, and attend educational workshops and seminars.

One of the highlights of our Annual Conference is our Trade Show, open for two full days, with a display of the latest technology available to government officials, with a heavy emphasis on the elections industry. At our meeting in New York City in July of this year, over 75 companies exhibited in over 110 booths, including vendors from Canada, Japan, Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands.

In addition to our regularly scheduled seminars, which include topics such as “Finding, Training and Retaining Poll Workers”, “Interaction with the Media” and “A Forum on The Help America Vote Act”, IACREOT offers its members a program of graduate studies in cooperation with the University of Missouri, called the Chancellor’s Certificate in Public Administration.

IACREOT’s annual dues are $145.00 for membership; Conference registration fees range from $300.00 - $350.00 per delegate and include training, social activities, entry into the trade show and voting rights. As a member of IACREOT since 1979, I feel that our strongest attribute is our networking – the ability to contact a member of your peer group and discuss any problem or present a solution. This is one of the key roles of our organization.

Another role that our organization plays is providing up-to-date information on news that might affect the office operations of our various members and keeping our members informed of any new developments in their respective field. We accomplish this through a quarterly newsletter, our interactive website, email messages, conference calls, fax notices and special called meetings. We have recently contracted for a new website, which is still in the development stages. This new website allows our members to enter a personal profile of themselves, which other members can view by means of a username and password. As administrator of the website, I have the ability to post calendar information, giving members the ability to plan ahead for future events. Also, I have the ability to sort our members by classification and email an entire group in one instantaneous move.

IACREOT has had a major impact in the field of elections in the United States. We have two appointees to the U.S. Election Assistance Board of Advisors and several members appointed to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Standards Board. A few of our members participate on the Technical Guidelines Standards Committee of the National Institute for Standards and Testing, providing input on the daunting task of establishing national standards for the voluntary voting systems guidelines. Many of our members have testified before the United States Congress, and as such were instrumental in the final product that became the 1993 National Voter Registration Act and the 2002 Help America Vote Act. Many of our members serve as officers in their respective state associations, thereby impacting the effect of elections on a local level. I might remind the delegates at this point that the majority of election law and policy remains in the hands of state governments and not the federal government, emphasizing the importance of local participation.

The Help America Vote Act remains today an act in progress. The Commissioners have traveled across the United States, participating on panels, answering questions, holding seminars and speaking to election officials one-on-one. In the short time they have been on duty, they have done a tremendous job in creating a harmonious and trusting relationship between the federal government and local officials. IACREOT has been very active in providing information for HAVA studies and serving on HAVA panels. We have also joined other U.S. election organizations in petitioning the President and Congress for adequate funding to facilitate the smooth implementation of the Help America Vote Act.

IACREOT today must continue to improve in goods and services. We must offer our members an association that fulfills their needs and requests. Our tasks and our challenges are sometimes one and the same. There are over 25,000 individuals in the United States that serve in a capacity that would allow them to become members of our organization. One of our challenges is to reach these individuals and encourage them to become members by offering them the best that an organization can offer. Many jurisdictions have a very limited travel budget and therefore are unable to attend conferences. We must convince these individuals that membership can benefit them in so many ways other than conference participation.

IACREOT is a large organization, with many personalities. And yet, in many respects, we are like a family. In response to the recent destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina along the U.S. Gulf Coast, IACREOT has established a relief fund to aid counties and parishes that have been devastated. We are accepting donations of cash, office equipment, office furniture and the like from our 15,000 members to distribute through the various local associations in the affected counties.

IACREOT welcomes new members with an orientation breakfast at our Annual Conference. We encourage our new members to join one of our many committees and become actively involved. Our theme for this year, set by our President Bettie Johnson, of Columbia, Missouri, USA, is “IACREOT – A World of Potential”. I would like to introduce three of our distinguished members who are in the audience today – our Immediate Past President Ms. Gertrude Walker, Supervisor of Elections from Fort Pierce, Florida, USA; Past President Robert Parten, Election Consultant, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, and a past participant in ACEEEO conferences; and of course, Mr. Paul DeGregorio, Vice Chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.