To the Editor:

What does a Secretary of State do?

Ten years ago, I had no idea what the job of Secretary of State was about. Then I heard Dennis Merrill speak: the main job of Secretaries of State was voting, and the Republican party was not only awake to this fact but had set out on an organized effort to get Republicans elected to the office of Secretary of State.

Merrill eventually became President of the National Association of Secretaries of State and she never stopped telling people to pay attention. She struggled each election cycle to update Connecticut’s voting laws, and in 2018, aware of how successful Republicans had been in their focus on voting, she formed the CT Election Cyber Security Task Force.

For family reasons, this prescient civil servant had to retire this year and a temporary replacement is filling the position. For better or worse, by now we are aware of how important the office of Secretary of State is.

On the Democratic ballot in Connecticut this November is another person with the knowledge and the passion to make our voting secure, safe, and user friendly.

Stephanie Thomas is an impressive candidate: in addition to having both a business and a legal background, she has served as vice-chair of the Government Administration and Elections Commission in Hartford. Knowledgeable and informed, when she speaks about the job of Secretary of State, it is clear she has the experience and background to replace a leader in the field like Secretary Merrill.

Stephanie Thomas will keep Connecticut moving forward as it continues to do the two most important things her office does: update and secure the state’s voting systems.

Betty Krasne, PhD

Kent