Anyone in search of answers regarding the American voting process, election security and such will have a sterling opportunity to gain a great deal of information next week thanks to the League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties.
The League is hosting retired State of Michigan Director of Elections Christopher Thomas next Tuesday, May 15th at the Lincoln Township Library located at 2099 W. John Beers Road in Stevensville.
Thomas’ timely program will discuss state and national issues related to elections including but not limited to some of the following:
- Michigan’s decentralized election system
- Voter registration
- Election security
- Expectations for the November 2018 voter turnout
- Expectations for the November 2018 ballot issues
The luncheon meeting will begin at 12:30 pm and reservations are required by this Friday, May 11th. Email reservations should be directed to jasoko@sbcglobal.net or by text or phone to 269-362-1871. The cost is $10 per person.
Thomas retired from the Michigan Department of State on June 30th after 40 years of election administration service. He administered the Michigan election law, campaign finance act and lobbyist disclosure law. He began his election administration career in 1974 in Washington D.C. with the U.S. House of Representatives and the Federal Election Commission.
Thomas is a founding member of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) and was elected NASED’s President in 1997 and again in 2013. He represented NASED on the Board of Advisors to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from 2004 to 2017 and served as the Board Chair from 2006-2008. At the NASED Summer Conference in 2012, he was honored to receive NASED’s Distinguished Service Award.
In 2013, Thomas was appointed by President Barack Obama as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which made recommendations to improve the election day experience of America’s voters.
Thomas earned a B.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University, a M.A. in Urban Affairs from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO, and a J.D. from Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing. In retirement, Thomas has returned to his hometown of St. Joseph where he resides with his wife Kristin who is a working artist.
