Archive for the 'Q&A' Category

Q&A with our New Elections Director

Published on October 15, 2009 in Elections and Q&A. 0 Comments Tags: .

On Aug. 31, Stephen N. Trout became the new director of the Oregon Elections Division. An attorney, Trout came to Oregon after a national search and brought with him extensive expertise in election law and election administration at the state and local levels of government. Here are a few questions for Steve about the state of the Oregon Elections Division.


Q. What are biggest challenges facing Oregon elections?

A. We face a series of changing rules at the state and federal level with limited resources. We also face significant changes in technology, like the challenges in developing our online voter registration system.

Q. How will that work?

A. We’re in the process right now of developing the system and we expect to have it in place by March 1, 2010, in time to register for the May primary.

It will allow eligible Oregonians to register online but only if they have a signature on file with the state Motor Vehicle Services Division. In other words, you’ll only be able to register online if you have a driver’s license or some kind or a state ID card.

Q. What’s the advantage?

A. First of all, it’s going to be cheaper because there will be less paperwork at the state level. It’s going to make registration easier for Oregonians in the military. It will be easier for the homebound or those with disabilities. And it’s going to be easier for young people who spend a lot of time online. It’s going to make registration easier for everyone.

Q. Will it be secure?

A. It will be very secure. The signature will be the validating element. It carries the same security protections as those in place now with paperwork. Even more, I should say. When registering on paper, you have to swear under penalty of a class C felony the information is accurate. When registering online, you cannot fill out the information until you’ve sworn that oath and a violation carries a penalty of five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

Q. Do we have a secure voting system?

A. I have full confidence in the security of all of our voting systems. Anyone could break into Fort Knox if there weren’t any guards, and voting systems are no different. Our voting system guards are our laws and regulations, and rules and procedures. We are constantly updating them to maintain the highest level of security possible. The counties submit security plans to our office which we review to make sure that their voting processes and equipment are as secure as possible. Our most important job is to provide the citizens of Oregon with the most secure and accurate voting systems possible.

Q. What are your long-term goals for the Elections Division?

A. We want to continue to be at the forefront of administering elections in this country. We’ll use all the resources at our disposal to make the system as efficient as possible and to make sure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot in as accurate and secure a manner as possible.

Q. How good is our system compared to other states?

A. Our vote-by-mail is the model for the nation and we’ll continue to improve on that. Our system is one of the cleanest, most efficient, most accurate and most secure in the country and we intend to keep it that way.

A Few Questions For: Gary Blackmer – Audits Division Director

Published on September 28, 2009 in Audits and Q&A. 0 Comments Tags: , .

On the first of June this year, Gary Blackmer became director of the Secretary of State’s Audits Division.  He came to the state after a decade as Portland’s elected city auditor and before that was elected to two terms as the Multnomah County auditor. Blackmer is recognized nationally for his expertise in government auditing and has developed particular proficiency in performance audits, which thoroughly analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of governmental policies, management and fiscal dealings. He answered a few questions for us about his first few months on the job.

Q. What changes do you see for the Audits Division?

A. I’m asking the auditors to dig deeper into the problems they encounter when they audit so we can identify the root causes of problems and make recommendations that help managers pinpoint solutions. I’m finding that auditors are very enthused about this new scope of their responsibilities. They’re leaping into the issues and producing better audits already.

Q. What’s a performance audit?

A. A performance audit looks at how an organization delivers services and figures out where the bottlenecks and obstacles are. So when we point problems out to management, they can improve their service, whether it involves cost or quality or timeliness. A financial audit looks at the money transactions in an organization. Our biggest responsibility in a statewide financial audit is determining whether agency reporting of financial transactions is accurate and reliable.  Our other large responsibility is determining whether federal funds were handled in compliance with federal rules.

Q. Will the Audits Division be doing more performance audits than it did in the past?

A. Yes, we will be stretching some of our audits that only looked at rule compliance to look at the larger picture of performance.  We’re also looking at ways to apply our financial audit staff to equally important questions about public finance issues.

Q. How can audits help save taxpayer money?

A. In many ways, government gets in its own way in delivering services. As outsiders, we can see things that people in an organization have become accustomed to, things that are unnecessary or duplicative. Finding them are ways we can save money. We can also look at the state’s revenue sources to see if we can bring in additional dollars. We can examine programs to see if they’re accomplishing the objectives set forward by the Legislature. If they’re not, leadership can decide how to better allocate those resources to be more effective.

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