Hon. Betty Ireland, WV's 28th Secretary of State

February 8, 2005

She is a Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Charleston, so it might be little surprise that West Virginia's Secretary of State has her own "Four-Way Test" as an action plan for operations in her new office: (1) What are we trying to accomplish? (2) Is it legal? (3) Is it non-partisan, or bi-partisan? (4) How does it benefit the people of the state?

The first woman ever to be elected to the executive branch of state government, the Hon. Betty Ireland has hit he ground running with a broad agenda of services and improvements.

Voter education, voter registration, and voter turnout rank near the top of the list. After the problems in the 2000 election, Congress passed the "Help America Vote Act," -- for all the right reasons, but a huge "unfunded mandate" for state compliance by 2006.

Putnam Rotarians in their Sleepy Hollow luncheon meeting today heard Secretary Ireland hold forth on new directions in leadership as she begins her term of office in the state capital.

"The federal government should not dictate voting procedures to states," said Ireland, "any more than states should dictate to political parties on procedures [in their party primaries]."

Most states allow bipartisan observers to monitor elections, Ireland told the group. West Virginia does not.

We don't want to fine people," she said. "We don't want to hurt anyone. We just want them to do it right."

A new person is already on board to review campaign finance records, said Ireland. "Five candidates and 25 PACs have yet to file reports from the last election," she told the group.

In addition to enforcement of reporting requirements now in law, Ireland wants to reduce the eight separate reports presently required to a format and number more easily managed by candidates.

Some localities have a reputation for vote fraud, she said. "You stop the fraud by letting the light in. I plan to go into [those areas] and walk down Main Street with a camera in hand," said the new Secretary of State.

"Voting is a right, and I don't want anyone taking my rights away."