Submitted article
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. —Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has released a booklet of the many achievements during his administration: Building a Brighter and Stronger Missouri – Eight Years of Accomplishment.
“It has been my privilege to serve as Missouri’s secretary of state and I thank the people of this great state for allowing me this opportunity,” Ashcroft said. “I want to thank my staff and all those who have helped me reach these milestones.”
Major highlights under the Ashcroft Administration:
- Secretary Ashcroft made it a priority to know the state and his constituents. He visited all 114 counties plus the city of St. Louis annually to meet and talk with Missourians about concerns and issues.
- In 2022, the Secretary led the General Assembly to pass HB 1878 that included a critical measure which finally implemented government issued photo identification in order to vote.
- Under Secretary Ashcroft’s leadership, Missouri was on the forefront of updating notary law to meet the needs of today’s notaries and their customers. Ashcroft was nationally recognized with an award from the National Notary Association and HB 1655 became an example for other states to follow.
- Keeping voter rolls clean was a major priority during the Ashcroft administration. Secretary Ashcroft’s office worked daily with local election authorities providing updated information pertaining to voters. That was one reason Missouri ranked in the top three states in the country for election integrity.
- In 2018, Secretary Ashcroft hosted and led the first nationwide election security summit attended by national and state leaders.
- Secretary Ashcroft made it a priority to talk with and encourage the next generation of leaders. During his time as secretary of state, Ashcroft visited schools across Missouri speaking to thousands of students asking them to sign a Pledge of Respect focusing on leadership, courage and honesty:
“I pledge to my family, friends and community to be a good student, a good citizen; to be kind and treat others with respect; to be a good friend, a good leader; and to be courageous in difficult times.”
- Rather than just talk about cybersecurity concerns, Secretary Ashcroft led the way to put substance and actions in place. He worked with local election authorities, the FBI, CISA, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to make sure the secretary of state’s office remained secure from outside nefarious forces.
- Wolfner Talking Book and Braille Library went from single cartridges for each recorded book title to “duplication on demand,” allowing new technology to upload multiple titles onto one cartridge for the convenience and efficiency for our patrons while saving state tax dollars on mailing costs.
- Secretary Ashcroft mandated public libraries to have policies in place protecting minor children from inappropriate material and led the way to make sure parents were in charge of what their children could access in libraries.
- In multiple court filings Secretary Ashcroft led other secretaries of state to ensure justice in the rule of law by making sure Donald J. Trump remained on the ballot.
- Education is the framework for success for every child. Secretary Ashcroft was chosen as a Hunt/Kean Leadership Fellow which allowed Missouri to participate with national leaders to assist in advancing educational excellence for Missouri children. Secretary Ashcroft established annual retreats with national and Missouri leaders on education reform.
- Technology plays a part in progress. Secretary Ashcroft put the right leaders and staff in place to upgrade and advance applications in the secretary of state’s office to serve Missourians more efficiently. This included in-house development of new systems for corporations and the initiative petition process.
- Secretary Ashcroft managed his office well. His administration focused on efficiency, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in unnecessary expense and even sending money back to the general revenue fund. During the onset of COVID, unlike the vast majority of government agencies, the secretary of state’s office never shut down and continued to serve patrons.
“Government itself cannot produce success but government does have the ability to foster conditions that can contribute powerfully to, or detract from, individual achievement,” Ashcroft said, “and we want to create conditions that help Missourians reach their full potential and move our state forward.”
In accordance with Section 28.120 RSMo, a copy of the booklet has been presented to the Missouri State Archives.