Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler and his staff were recognized last weekend during the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) annual winter meeting in Washington, D.C., as one of four finalists for the 2013 NASS IDEAS Award.

Louisiana’s GeauxVote Mobile app that allows voters to check their registration status, review a sample ballot and retrieve turn-by-turn directions to their polling location was submitted for consideration late last year and has now been identified as a finalist. The NASS IDEAS Award recognizes innovation, dedication, excellence and achievement in service, as well as significant contributions to the mission of NASS.

“Louisiana is truly leading the way nationally in the area of election outreach and integrity,” said Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “This is an important honor because it demonstrates just how far ahead of the curve we are. Other states are anxious to replicate our GeauxVote app with the hope that they too can provide such a valuable tool for their voters, and I look forward to working with them.”

Since the launch of the application in Sept. 2011, the GeauxVote app has proven to be wildly popular with more than 22,900 iPhone installations and 6,900 Android installations statewide.

During the height of the presidential election season (Oct. 23-Nov. 6, 2012) there were approximately 15,223 downloads including clerk of court staff, registrar of voters staff, polling commissioners and average citizens. These numbers are in part due to Secretary Schedler’s media interviews throughout the election season touting the app as a way to prepare to vote on Election Day.

"The four states selected for this honor are shining examples of the diverse array of innovative, cost-effective programming and services being offered throughout the nation by Secretary of State offices and their hardworking staffs,” noted North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger, co-chair of the NASS Awards Committee.

Finalists for the NASS IDEAS Award are selected following a review and ranking vote by a designated committee of their peers. State submissions are judged according to their history, significance and effects/results.

All finalists will be invited to showcase their innovative state program during a special best practices panel at this year's annual NASS summer conference on July 18-21 in Anchorage, Alaska.

NASS members will vote to select the national honoree from among the finalists, and the recipient office will be announced and presented with the IDEAS Award during the summer event.

"It's important to emphasize the difficulty of choosing the best ideas that are put forward for consideration each year,” added NASS President and Nevada Secretary of State Ross J. Miller, also co-chair of the NASS Awards Committee. "I look forward to learning more about the outstanding programs that were selected for recognition by this association and will be showcased at our summer meeting."

The three other states that were selected as NASS 2013 IDEAS Award finalists include (in alphabetical order):

Colorado Secretary of State: Quarterly Business & Economic Indicators Report

Oregon Secretary of State: Vote-by-Tablet - Using iPads & Windows 8 Technology for Accessible Voting

West Virginia Secretary of State: West Virginia Secretary of State Business & Licensing Online Chat

Founded in 1904, NASS is the oldest, nonpartisan professional organization of public officials in the U.S. Members include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico.

NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services and digital archiving, as well as several well-established awards programs.

For more information about the Secretary of State’s Elections Division, visit www.GeauxVote.com or call 225.922.0900.