Three Female Secretaries of State Participate in National Archives Foundation Program

For Immediate Release — Aug. 27, 2020 — Washington, D.C. — Today, Aug. 27, 2020, the National Archives Foundation will host a virtual program exploring the role that Secretaries of State play in overseeing their states’ election pro­cess in collaboration with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). The program is part of a week-long series commemorating the women’s suffrage centennial, and highlights the National Archives exhibition and initiative, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. The program will be streamed live on the National Archives Foundation YouTube page at 5:00 p.m. E.T. Registration is free and open to the public.

Executive Director of the Foundation Patrick Madden will moderate a bi-partisan discussion be­tween Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman and New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way.

“As female Secretaries of State and Chief State Election Officials, recognizing the 19th Amend­ment’s anniversary and how far we’ve come as a nation is tremendously important. I’m glad to see my colleagues, who also oversee their state’s archives, participating in this event and I hope viewers will take away vital lessons on modern suffrage,” said NASS President and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

“The safety and security of the November election is top of mind for every citizen,” National Ar­chives Foundation Director Patrick Madden said. "One hundred years ago, women secured the right to vote with the 19th Amendment. Today, these women leaders are in charge of the vote in their states.”

Rightfully Hers is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the gener­ous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, AT&T, Ford Motor Company Fund, Facebook, Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation, Google, HISTORY ®, and Jacqueline B. Mars. Additional sup­port for National Outreach and Programs provided by Denise Gwyn Ferguson, Maggie and Rob­ert Boroujerdi, BMO Financial Group, The Hearst Foundations, Maris S. Cuneo Foundation, Fed­Ex, Bernstein Family Foundation, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation/ Ambassador Fay-Hartog Levin (Ret.).

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NASS Media Contact:
Maria Benson, Director of Communications
mbenson@sso.org | 202-624-3528 | www.nass.org

National Archives Foundation Media Contact:
Mattie Gainer, Senior Programs and Communications Manager
Mattie.gainer@archivesfoundation.org | www.archivesfoundation.org