College Students Help Power Connecticut’s Polls; Initiative Earns National Recognition

What began as a practical answer to a growing election staffing need has become a nationally recognized model for bringing young people into public service. The Connecticut Secretary of the State’s Office received the 2026 National Association of Secretaries of State IDEAS Award for Next Gen Elections: College Students Powering the Polls.

At the same conference, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas was sworn in as Treasurer of NASS, the nation’s oldest nonpartisan professional organization for public officials.

“The best public-service ideas solve more than one problem,” Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said. “Towns needed more trained election workers. Students were looking for opportunities to gain experience and serve their communities. Next Gen brought those needs together.” Thomas added, “This program shows what can happen when we stop talking about young people as the future and trust them with important work right now. This award belongs to them, along with the registrars, campus partners, and staff who make the program work.”

Established in 2011, the NASS IDEAS Award recognizes significant contributions to the association’s mission and outstanding programs administered by secretaries of state and lieutenant governors across the country.

Connecticut elections are administered at the municipal level by local election officials in each of the state’s 169 towns. The expansion of in-person early voting and the introduction of new voting tabulators created additional staffing and training needs for municipalities across the state, officials explained.

The Secretary of the State’s Office launched Next Gen Elections in 2024 to help meet those needs by recruiting reliable college students through trusted partnerships with colleges, universities, and community organizations.

The students receive extensive preparation, including poll-worker training, moderator training, instruction in Connecticut’s voter-registration system, and additional training from the municipality where they are assigned. Participants are trained to serve in roles including moderator, assistant registrar, official checker, ballot clerk, greeter, and tabulator tender.

The program also gives students paid, hands-on experience that can build important skills and deepen their understanding of how elections work in their own communities, officials point out.

Participation has grown significantly since the program began:

• The number of participating campuses increased from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025.

• The number of municipalities where students served nearly doubled, from 23 to 45.

• The number of languages other than English spoken by participating students increased from seven to 13.

Paid training and travel reimbursement help make the opportunity accessible to students regardless of their financial circumstances. Participating municipalities also receive stipends through a grant awarded by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

“The poll-worker shortage is a national problem,” said Christian Knight, a Next Gen Elections participant from Quinnipiac University. “A lot of states are facing that as well. I’d love to see something like this implemented in other states.”

Secretary Thomas Elected NASS Treasurer

Secretary Thomas was elected by her fellow NASS members and sworn in as Treasurer on July 17. She will serve on the association’s 2026–2027 Executive Board through the conclusion of the NASS 2027 Summer Conference. The Executive Board includes secretaries of state representing every region of the country and both major political parties.

Her election maintains Connecticut’s role in the executive leadership of the nonpartisan association, where secretaries of state collaborate on election administration, business services, cybersecurity, public records, and other responsibilities overseen by their offices. Secretary Thomas has also served on the executive committee during the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 years.

“Serving as Treasurer is another opportunity to learn from colleagues, share what Connecticut is doing well, and bring strong ideas home,” Secretary Thomas said. “The responsibilities of our offices may differ from state to state, but the goal is the same: make government work better for the people who depend on it. I am honored that my colleagues have trusted me with this role.”