Colorado’s absentee voting system inspires change in Republic of Georgia

DENVER, Aug. 24, 2015 – Colorado’s absentee voting system for military and overseas voters will soon be replicated on the other side of the world.

In May, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office participated in a Professional Fellows program sponsored by the U.S. State Department and administered by the American Councils for International Education.

Colorado’s elections division hosted Nino Janashia, a fellow from the Republic of Georgia. After her time in Colorado, Janashia submitted a proposal for a project implementing absentee voting for Georgian military and overseas citizens. After a competitive evaluation process, Janashia’s proposal was selected for funding.

"Colorado is a national leader in promoting voting options for military and overseas voters," Secretary of State Wayne Williams said. "This grant recognizes Colorado’s overwhelming success in making sure that every resident of our state has the opportunity to vote."

As part of the exchange, Hilary Rudy, deputy director of the elections division, will travel to Tbilisi, Georgia, this November as an outbound participant in the Professional Fellows program. While in Georgia, Rudy will meet with members of the Georgia Central Election Commission, political parties and non-government organizations to support the project implementation. She’ll also discuss the Colorado military and overseas voting process and learn about elections in Georgia.

The cost of the trip will be paid by the American Councils. For more information on the Professional Fellows Program, visit http://professionalfellows.americancouncils.org/.