Focus on Service in Secretary of State Race

In the Secretary of State race, the commitment to service matters. I find myself teaching this simple lesson with more enthusiasm lately: elected positions in American government exist as opportunities to serve. "Yea, yea, old man, we know that" is often the expression I see on the faces of my students when I start. Occasionally, one of them might actually say it out loud. Students are usually reluctant to school the teacher that way. Good thing. Mainly because this is not that simple anymore. When I was a young state employee and was learning my way around the Indiana Government Center, I recall wondering why anyone would want to be the Indiana Secretary of State. To me, especially way back in the mid-1990's, and before my thirtieth birthday, I couldn't think of anything more boring than the "chartering of new businesses," or the "commissioning of notaries public." Forget about the oversight of state elections too. That would be like wanting to be a referee in the NFL. No one ever celebrates the lowly football referee, and I feel strongly about this, no one ever should. In 2022, hiring a new secretary of state is upon Indiana voters, and the historically business-as-usual decision is anything but that. Oversight of elections is just about as serious and under threat as it has been since the post-Civil War era. The once perfunctory role has become a battleground for the commitment to honestly count the votes and abide by the honest results. Connect with Michael Leppert Visit michaelleppert.com to read the full post and links to any resources or articles mentioned. Twitter @michaelleppert  Facebook at Michael Leppert