Bob Bartlesmeyer
The secretary of state has appointed Doña Ana County’s new elections supervisor to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
Secretary of State Mary Herrera made the announcement today that she’s picked Bob Bartelsmeyer to serve with her on the national commission, which is charged with helping states comply with the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
The independent, bipartisan board has 110 members. Half are state officials selected by states’ chief election officials, and the other half are local election workers also picked by states’ chief election officials.
Bartlesmeyer was hired by Doña Ana County in August. He has more than 25 years of experience in elections management, including 22 years as the county clerk in Lawrence County, Missouri — a position to which he was elected at age 21 and then held for six consecutive terms. Most recently, he served as absentee ballot coordinator in Palm Beach County, Fla.
The EAC, according to the news release from Herrera, is “charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information about election administration. The EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds. Other responsibilities include maintaining the national mail voter registration form developed in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.”