FEBRUARY 5, 2009

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie have lined up an exciting panel of election experts to discuss voter participation in the 2008 election, including participation from the military and overseas voters.

Land will co-chair the National Association of Secretaries of State Voter Participation Committee with Secretary of State Ritchie during the NASS 2009 Winter Conference. The conference is in Washington D.C., Feb. 6-9.

"This is an excellent opportunity to share best practices so Michigan and other states can stay at the forefront of election innovation," said Land, the state's chief election officer. "I look forward to hearing from our panel of distinguished speakers."

During the committee meeting, Michael McDonald, director of the United States Election Project at George Mason University, will talk about voter participation in the 2008 general election. In addition, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortés will recap the 2008 U.S. Department of Defense Middle East troop visit and a tour of military voting facilities.

Paul Gronke, director of the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College, will discuss early voting practices and trends. Pat Hollarn and Carol Paquette of the Operation Bravo Foundation will discuss innovative approaches to military voting.

NASS was founded in 1904 and is the oldest nonpartisan professional association for state government officials in the United States.

For more information on elections in Michigan, visit the Department of State Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos.