FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2010
CONTACT: John Smith
(207) 626-8400

Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap Serves as Panelist at the 2010 Summit on Overseas and Military Voting Hosted by Overseas Vote Foundation in Munich

AUGUSTA - Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, representing the National Association of Secretaries of State in his capacity as President-Elect, is currently attending and presenting at the Summit 2010 on Overseas Voting and Military Voting.  The Summit, hosted in Munich, Germany, by the Overseas Vote Foundation, has brought together state and federal leaders, academics and others to explore the best ways to implement technology to facilitate voting by American citizens overseas and by members of the uniformed services, while vigorously assuring the security and overall integrity of U.S. elections.

"My job is to assure that every Maine citizen has the opportunity to cast their ballot in our elections and to assure the highest level of integrity of our elections.  The trick is how do we use technology to enhance access to our elections by those living or serving abroad, while at the same time guaranteeing the security of the election process," said Secretary Dunlap.  He added, "At a time when our nation is engaged in fighting two wars, with women and men in uniform risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives to serve our country, it is critical that we take every step we can to guarantee that their voice is heard and counted in our democratic elections."

Secretary Dunlap is joined by fellow Secretaries of State, the heads of the Federal Voting Assistance Program and the US Election Assistance Commission, the Chief Voting Action Officer of the U.S. Department of State, representatives of every branch of the military, technologists, innovators, election integrity activists, leading elections researchers from major US and international universities, non-profit election rights advocacy groups, leaders of the American community overseas, and many more.

Participants and Summit attendees are exchanging ideas on the question of Internet Voting and the full range of implications of the recently enacted MOVE Act, the most important piece of election reform legislation for the overseas community since the 1986 passage of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), the law that guaranteed the right to vote to Americans living overseas.

All travel and lodging expenses for Secretary Dunlap's participation are being covered by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS).