[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9776-S9777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     
     
                              TRIBUTE TO JIM CONDOS
     
        Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I rise today to honor Jim 
     Condos of South Burlington and Montpelier, VT. Jim is retiring as 
     Vermont Secretary of State after more than 35 years in public service.
       A lifelong Vermonter, Jim has served his community at multiple levels 
     of government. After 18 years as a South Burlington city councilor, he 
     went on to represent Chittenden County in the Vermont State Senate. In 
     2010, Jim was elected secretary of state, a position that he has held 
     for the past 12 years. During his tenure, Jim has been recognized as an 
     expert on election administration and has served in such roles as 
     president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, a member 
     of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Board of Advisors, an 
     executive board member for the Council of State Government, and the 
     national cochair of the Overseas Voting Initiative for Military 
     Personnel and Overseas Citizens. Jim has also been called upon by 
     Congress to share his expertise, specifically on voting and election 
     cybersecurity.
       Thanks in large part to Jim's leadership, Vermont is widely 
     considered a leader in voter access. At a time when the right to vote 
     is being curtailed in many States, Jim and his team have expanded 
     Vermonters' access to democracy through same-day registration, 
     automatic voter registration, online voter registration, ADA-accessible 
     voting, universal vote-by-mail, and ballot dropboxes. During the COVID-
     19 pandemic, Jim's office implemented safe voting options so that 
     Vermonters did not need to choose between their health and their right 
     to vote. His pro-voter policies also led to record-shattering voter 
     turnout, for both early and total voting, in the 2022 midterm and 2020 
     Presidential elections. This work has all been done while ensuring the 
     integrity of elections through election
     
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     cybersecurity measures and ballot curing, discrediting arguments that 
     expanding access to the vote enables election fraud. In fact, Vermont 
     has been on the forefront of election security, identifying threats 
     that have ultimately led to the strengthening of systems nationwide.
       In addition to defending democracy through sound election 
     administration, Jim has prioritized good government while secretary of 
     state. For example, he and his team oversaw the transition from a paper 
     system to an electronic system, posting more records and information 
     online. While this received fewer headlines than the office's election 
     work, it has been critical to ensuring transparency and public access. 
     Similarly, Jim's work to reduce red tape in the office of professional 
     regulation means that Vermont businesses and professionals are better 
     served, while still protecting the public.
       At a time when democracy is under threat and distrust in government 
     is pervasive, Jim has given Vermonters faith and hope for the future. 
     He has shown what accessible elections and good government can and 
     should look like, and for that, he has my sincere gratitude. Vermont is 
     indeed a better place and Vermonters are better off thanks to Secretary 
     of State Jim Condos. I wish Jim and Annie all the best for his well-
     deserved retirement.
     
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