Secretary of State Wayne Williams thrilled to see Colorado nominated for innovative award

DENVER, February 16, 2016 - For the third year in a row, the Colorado Secretary of State's office has been named a finalist for an award that recognizes innovation, excellence, and achievement in public programs.

Colorado's selection was announced Saturday on the final day of the National Association of Secretaries of State winter conference in Washington, D.C. NASS chooses four finalists every year for its IDEAS Award.

Colorado's entry this year is its groundbreaking "Accountability in Colorado Elections" or ACE program, which takes reams of election data and puts it into easily readable charts and maps. The program has received high praise from Election Line, experts from MIT and the University of Minnesota, and from the Colorado media.

"ACE is a first-of-its-kind electronic warehouse of elections-related information for the public," said Judd Choate, director of elections for the Department of State. "It's gratifying that the National Association of Secretaries of State recognizes how innovative Colorado has been and continues to be."

The other NASS IDEAS Award finalists are:

• Montana Secretary of State: Montana Civic Engagement
• Nevada Secretary of State: Nevada's Effective Absentee System for Elections or EASE
• West Virginia Secretary of State: Business Industry Growth (Big) Map

The winner will be announced at NASS's summer conference, which will be held in Nashville in July.

The NASS IDEAS award began in 2011. Former Secretary of State Scott Gessler received the award in 2014 for the office's Colorado eLearning platform, which helps Coloradans understand the processes for starting a business, raising money for a charity or other government-related tasks by simply going online. Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams last year accepted the IDEAS award for the Business Intelligence Center/Go Code Colorado program, which takes public data and turns it in a useful apps for businesses.

Williams is hoping for a three-peat.

"I am proud of the innovation and hard work from our staff who serve the state of Colorado so well," he said. "The staff made this repeat nomination possible."