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Secretary of State highlights top national ranking on election security and urges action to boost turnout
Summary
Secretary of State told committee Tennessee has been ranked first for election integrity for multiple years and outlined outreach and programs to increase registration and turnout; questions from members focused on turnout strategies and programs such as Safe at Home and a business anti‑trafficking initiative.
Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Mark Goins, coordinator of elections, told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee that Tennessee has repeatedly been recognized for election-security measures and described multiple outreach programs aimed at increasing registration and civic participation.
Mark Goins told members that Tennessee leads in several election-security metrics used by the awarding organization and cited factors such as voter ID, list maintenance and absentee verification. Goins said Tennessee is "well out there" on those measures and that many other states are adopting similar practices.
Secretary Hargett and Goins also described programs the office runs to expand participation and civic education: a Safe at Home address‑confidentiality program (enrollment up 50% in the past year), an annual civics essay contest with scholarships, high-school registration outreach that honors schools with high registration rates, and partnerships with sports teams and businesses on "Your Vote Matters" messaging. The office said it will begin a new Tennessee charitable and business online platform upgrade next week to improve services for businesses and to enable staff to work remotely when necessary.
On a specific policy change, Goins thanked the Legislature for a bill passed during a special session to make driver's licenses visually distinct for U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens who are legally present; he said the distinction will help election integrity efforts.
Why it matters: the secretary framed Tennessee as both a leader in security and a state seeking to grow turnout. Several lawmakers pressed for concrete goals to increase participation: one member asked for a measurable turnout target and suggested the office should propose specific percentage objectives and regional strategies. Hargett said the office will continue outreach, voter-registration training and partnerships with schools, businesses and local officials, but stressed that motivation and competitive races also drive turnout.
The secretary also highlighted recent programs outside elections: a Tennessee business against trafficking initiative with more than 250 businesses signed on to date, and the Safe at Home coordinator's national award.
Questions and context: members asked who issues the security ranking (the Heritage Foundation was named in committee) and how the office plans to improve low turnout despite strong security measures. Hargett said turnout can be influenced by motivation, candidate competitiveness and local outreach; he asked legislators to propose goals that the office can help to meet.
