National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)

Founded in 1904, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) is the oldest professional, nonpartisan organization of public officials in the United States. NASS serves as a forum for the exchange of information among secretaries of state, members of Congress, federal and state government agencies, special interest groups and the general public. Secretaries' duties vary from state to state, and they may include overseeing the administration of elections, registering corporations, publishing state administrative codes and registers, handling business and occupational licensing and administering the Uniform Commercial Code.

In 1998 NASS commissioned The Tarrance Group and Lake, Snell, Perry & Associates to conduct bipartisan research to reexamine the profile of the nation’s youngest citizens. The purposes of the New Millennium Project and supporting survey were to better understand the problem of declining youth engagement in the political process and to gain insight into potential solutions to this growing problem. The survey found that most young nonvoters do not participate because they do not believe their votes will make a difference, or they do not have enough information about the candidates. Moreover, while youth volunteerism is on the rise—close to 60 percent of the survey participants said they volunteer regularly—that same sense of civic responsibility just is not enough to get them to the polls on Election Day.

In the years following the 1998 study, NASS has played a critical role in bringing about real, positive change to help motivate young people to become involved in the political process. Every one to two years, NASS surveys states to learn what programs and messages they are using to increase participation among young people. The recent NASS New Millennium State Practices Survey includes an overview of state practices as well as state-by-state information on specific programs and youth program contacts.

In 2004 NASS conducted a National Voter Registration Week and worked with a national retail store chain during its Student Appreciation Week to register new voters. NASS worked with the League of Women Voters to design and distribute the “Five Things to Expect on Election Day” postcard in order to prepare voters to register and vote. In addition to reaching out to young and first-time voters, NASS worked to let voters know how landmark election reform legislation, the Help America Vote Act of 2002, would change the way the 2004 elections would be run.

In addition to the People of America Foundation, NASS partners with Kids Voting, Capitol Forum, Declare Yourself, the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Get Out the Vote Campaign, the National Student Parent Mock Election, the World Wrestling Entertainment Smackdown Your Vote Coalition, and the Youth Leadership Initiative.

For more information, contact:

George A. Munro, press secretary, National Association of Secretaries of State, 444 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 401, Washington, D.C. 20001. 202-624-3528 (direct dial), 202-624-3527 (fax), gmunro@sso.org (e-mail), www.nass.org (Web site).