September 30, 23 & 16, 2020
Lonna Rae Atkeson, Sarah Hood & Maggie Toulouse Oliver
September 30:
Lonna Rae Atkeson, Professor and Regents Lecturer Political Science at the University of New Mexico:
Topic: Election Security, Fraud and Voter Confidence
How do New Mexicans view the conduct of Elections here in New Mexico? How confident are New Mexican voters that the electoral process in this state is secure, fraud free and if not, what are their major concerns and why?
September 23:
Sarah Hood, Reference and Instruction Librarian who teaches information literacy at Santa Fe Community College, media analyst with Ad Fontes Topic: Media: Elections 2020: Fact vs. Fiction: How to Wade Through the (Insanity)
Even in the best of times it can be a challenge to tell fact from fiction. The pivot of our lives – both personal and professional – to the online realm has only exacerbated this. In this historically unique presidential election, the U.S. is witnessing a volatile intersection of social unrest, economic upheaval and ever-evolving technology. In this webinar, Sarah will guide you through the in’s and out’s of ‘fake news’ and mis-/disinformation, how to sort fact from fiction, as well as how to communicate with others during this time…all while keeping your sanity.
September 16:
Maggie Toulouse Oliver, New Mexico Secretary of State:
Topic: Election Security Issues in 2020 and How They are Being Addressed in New Mexico
Election security is one of the major issues confronting us in the 2020 general elections, whether from disinformation campaigns by hostile foreign governments and/or domestic actors, cyberattacks on electoral systems, ballot fraud, and deliberate attempts to cast doubt on the results.
We are using the Zoom Webinar Format for this and our other programs. If you are interested in this program, please email sfwaforum@outlook.com for additional information.
For pricing and reservations, click here: https://sfwaf.org/payment/
The Speaker
Her research focuses on election science, election administration, survey research, public policy, voting rights, public opinion, and political behavior. She has authored or edited 4 books, over 50 referred articles and book chapters, numerous policy reports and several amicus curiae briefs. She has been a consultant to the Department of Defense, the US Election Assistance Commission, the Pew Charitable Trusts, various private companies and has served as an expert witness or consultant on several legal cases. Currently she is an Associate Editor for Political Analysis and is the election analyst for KOB-TV. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the JEHT Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Golisano Foundation, the Thornburg Foundation, the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the New Mexico Secretary of State, and Bernalillo County, New Mexico. She Received her BA from the University of California, Riverside and her PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Toulouse Oliver has advocated for elections security, and has ensured that the state of New Mexico employs many election security best practices, including the use of paper ballots and post-election audits. In 2017, she was a founding member of the Elections Government Sector Coordinating Council, which works with the Department of Homeland Security to inform policy on elections as critical national infrastructure. In 2018, she testified as an expert witness before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on elections security and cybersecurity issues.
