RON THORNBURGH
Secretary of State

STATE OF KANSAS
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594
(785) 296-4564
www.kssos.org

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Monday, July 16, 2001

Contact Information
Jesse Borjon, Communications Director
Office of the Secretary of State
(785) 296-4580
jesseb@kssos.org

THORNBURGH SWORN-IN AS PRESIDENT OF
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECRETARIES OF STATE

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas- Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh took the oath of office today to become president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, which is meeting this week in Little Rock, Arkansas. Thornburgh will serve a one-year term as president of the organization and said election reform will top this year’s agenda.


“As the nation’s chief elections officials, we have an obligation to make sure voters in Kansas have confidence in elections just as much as voters in California and Maine,” stated Thornburgh. “This is not just an issue for states where voting systems went wrong in November 2000, this is an opportunity for all states to improve the election process.” “I look forward to a productive year with an aggressive agenda and the opportunity to represent Kansas.”


At the afternoon swearing in ceremony, Thornburgh emphasized the organization’s continued support of voter education programs for 18 to 24 year olds. Another key issue, digital democracy, will focus on providing on-line corporate filings, uniform commercial code searches, and election results and on-line campaign finance reports. The National Association of Secretaries of State will continue to provide focus on how to provide digital government results, while also weighing security and privacy concerns.


The National Association of Secretaries of State, founded in 1904, is the oldest nonpartisan professional organization for state officials. The National Association of Secretaries of State serves as a medium for exchange of information and takes positions on important issues facing states. Topics of common interest among states include conducting elections, registering corporations, trademarks and trade names, publishing state administrative codes and registers, and administering the uniform commercial code. Membership includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and territories of Guam and US Virgin Islands.


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