Director's Corner
Dear Fellow Floridians:
We had a terrific 2008 Election Season. Going into the 2008 Presidential Election Florida had 11,247,634 registered voters. Voter Registration increased from the 2004 Presidential Election by a total of 946,344 registered voters. The sixty-seven Supervisor of Elections offices did an outstanding job, and I want to give my thanks to the men and women of the Division of Elections for the enthusiasm and commitment shown in the three large elections this year – the Presidential Preference Primary, the Primary Election and the General Election. They should be commended for all their hard work with the maintenance of the statewide database, voter registration input, registration verification, list maintenance, voting systems certification, qualifying of candidates, acceptance of campaign treasurer and finance reports, and preparation of commissions for elected and appointed officials.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations to Peggy J. Taff, Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Voter Registration Services, for her graduation from CERA. Ms. Taff is among the first 500 to graduate the program and her performance during the 2008 General Election cycle proved that she was well-deserving of this honor. The Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) program is one of the highest professional achievements conducted by the Election Center. CERA designation is achieved only through a multi-year course of study conducted by The Election Center’s Professional Education Program and completion of twelve core courses taught by the Master's in Public Administration faculty of Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama) ranging from ethics, to voter registration and elections law, planning, communications, and voter participation, among others. The intent of the program is to professionalize the management of voter registration and elections administration in promoting and preserving public trust in the democratic process. “This is the highest designation available to elections and voter registration officials,” said R. Doug Lewis, director of the Center. “Of more than 21,000 elections and voter registration officials throughout America, this graduating class of 56 professionals takes us to 498 election officials who have achieved the CERA status. To be among the first 500 certified in America is an outstanding accomplishment." "The Florida Department of State, Division of Elections is indeed fortunate to have Ms. Taff as one of the top designated professionals in America. Obtaining and maintaining CERA status means that she has committed to a career long process of continuing education to improve the electoral process in Florida and the nation,” he stated.
The Florida Division of Elections strives to provide the best public service to the citizens of Florida. I encourage all of Florida’s voters to be prepared for the 2010 Elections; by making sure you are a registered voter, updating your address and/or updating your signature. The bottom line is to BE ELECTION READY.
Thank you,
Director, Division of Elections
