Celeste Landry

Where Landry stands

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

The right to vote is fundamental to our identity as American citizens. Elections must be conducted fairly and securely. The Secretary of State should lead the way in encouraging all eligible citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote. The Secretary of State can also work to ensure voters can cast meaningful ballots that truly reflect the will of the electorate.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. As someone who has communicated regularly with the Colorado Department of State, I have experience navigating the Secretary of State’s rulemaking hearings, the Title Board hearings (which are chaired by a designee of the Secretary of State) and the legislative process where I have lobbied successfully for changes to election bills. Understanding the fiscal note attached to bills is important in today’s fiscally constrained environment. I also have years of experience filing campaign finance reports.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

In addition to its Election Division, the Department of State has a Business and Licensing Division which handles a wide range of filings from business and nonprofit registrations to notary public applications to bingo and raffle reports. Two other divisions, Administration and Information Technology, support the work of the Department of State. The Electronic Recording Technology Board meets regularly to discuss best practices for electronic filing. The ERTB also provides grants to counties to implement technological advancements in electronic recording.