By Morgan Thomas, Policy Associate
Before serving as Director of Elections for Washington, Stuart Holmes grew up surrounded by technology. His mother worked as Benton County, Washington’s IT Director, exposing him to technology at a young age. “I remember the days of figuring out dial-up and AOL with her,” Holmes recalled. “Growing up around computers, I figured I would follow the same career path as my mom.”
Stuart Holmes set out to follow in his mother’s footsteps and attended Columbia Basin College, where he studied Network Administration. In May 2005, Holmes’ began working as an archival specialist for the Benton County Auditor’s office where he oversaw digitizing various records. During his time there, Holmes had a front-row view of all the behind-the-scenes work election officials had to do.
“I was sitting there scanning documents and watching them do their jobs and was just fascinated by it,” Holmes said.
Technology slowly made its way into elections, resulting in the creation of a full-time election assistant position at the Benton County Auditor’s office. As modern voting equipment was being introduced, Holmes embarked on this opportunity to combine his background in technology with his newfound passion for elections. At the auditor’s office, Holmes became an election specialist in 2007 and then an election supervisor in 2009. Establishing himself in elections work, Holmes was then promoted to election administrator after becoming a certified election and voter registration administrator through the National Association of Election Officials. Today, Holmes serves as the Director of Elections under the Washington Secretary of State.
With over a decade of experience in elections, Holmes has witnessed many transitions in the elections space. One of the most significant changes that he echoes, along with many election officials, is the evolution of security concerns.
“Cybersecurity has been an area of focus since roughly 2005. However, we’ve entered this new era where the risk matrix is changing, and we need to keep up with that. Every few months, a new security concern arises. It could be cybersecurity today, physical security tomorrow, and something else down the line. Right now, it’s battling misinformation. That’s what makes the job fun! It’s never boring, and we must keep up with the flow.”
Rising security concerns have challenged election officials across the country. Many offices struggle to retain election administrators due to the high pressure and high burnout environment of the field. “In elections, you’re either going to get in or get out real quick. It’s not for everyone.,” said Holmes.
When asked about how to help mitigate some of these security concerns, he listed funding and more in-person interactions as two essential pieces.
“Funding is super important. There’s a lot of funding currently focused on cybersecurity efforts. Still, we also need funding for technology hardware, physical security, and finding more ways to collaborate and share solutions to common problems.”
He also suggests more in-person interactions as a tool to help combat misinformation and disinformation about elections.
“Everything is virtual now. We live stream, post on social media and communicate primarily through technology. A lot goes on behind the scenes that most people don’t get the chance to see. I think we need to coordinate more office tours, for example. Coordinating communication with county partners to come to observe in person what really occurs during a typical election operation. Showing people all the work that goes into an election and all the people working to ensure their vote is secure could help build trust in elections.”
However, Holmes identified one topic that has prevailed over the years: paper-based voting. He noted that “having a physical record of the voters’ choices has not changed along with everything else around that like accountability, auditability and transparency, which are all steadily being improved.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has become a crucial part of elections. More and more voters rely on the internet, news sources and social media to get election information. Technology has made it easier to capture multiple languages, create accessible voting for people with disabilities and help increase communication between election offices and voters. “People just expect technology to be a part of their lives at this point,” said Holmes. However, he noted that while we “should embrace technology”, he also believes we need to “embrace its constraints” as well.
New technology means more technological expertise is required, according to Holmes.
“We get very reliant on these intricate systems that require a subject matter expert, and when those individual leaves, all of a sudden, you’re like, holy smokes! How do we use this system we’ve come to rely on without that expert? We need to do a better job of making sure we also come up with analog solutions.”
Technology has also allowed for greater communication and outreach to voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Reaching UOCAVA voters and ensuring they have all the information needed to cast their vote comes with its own set of challenges, and the state of Washington has roughly 85,000 registered UOCAVA voters.
“One of the main challenges we face is getting an accurate mailing address (for a UOCAVA voter). Even with an accurate mailing address, it can be difficult to know if the ballot actually made it to the voter. Electronic ballot submission has been really helpful in combating this. With so many bases, we try to develop strong partnerships with the voting assistance officers at each base to ensure they relay accurate voting information,” said Holmes.
A large UOCAVA population also means there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to effective communication. Holmes noted that “trying to reach younger military personnel in particular can be difficult in one fail swoop.” To help identify preferred communication methods for different voting populations, Holmes and his staff actively seek out opportunities to reach these voters.
“I have a staff member whose job is primarily dedicated to reaching out to younger voters, UOCAVA voters, voters with disabilities and even voters who might need information in different languages.”
Additionally, Holmes’ office has a Community Engagement Program that actively works with underrepresented communities to teach them about elections and voting as well as how to interact with the government.
“Not only is it important to talk about elections, but people also need to understand how city councils and school boards work,” said Holmes.
The Community Engagement Program was established in July 2022 and facilitates tours for election offices and military bases. The office recently completed its first major community project, commissioning murals in three major cities throughout the state. The murals are centered around educating community members on the restoration of voting rights.
2020 was a significant election year for election officials across the country. One of Holmes’ key takeaways from the election was, “to spend a lot more time planning and coordinating for the unexpected.” As we enter another election year in 2024, Holmes re-emphasized the importance of safety for election officials.
“The ability to feel safe when you perform your job during an election is so important. Something positive that did come out of 2020 was state legislatures also acknowledging the importance of safety for election officials. Going into 2024, we need to prepare for anything and everything while also focusing on execution.”
Aside from working in elections, Holmes makes time for hobbies as well. He enjoys photography, watching movies, hiking and trail running with his dog, Charlotte. When asked if he could give any advice to those interested in working in elections, he said to start with a goal in mind.
“Set a long-term goal for where you want to go. It took me ten years to get to the Secretary of State’s office. Take the appropriate steps to get to your goal and be ok with being turned down for positions. I was turned down for deputy director twice. Having a goal will keep you moving in the right direction.”