PoliticsAside
PoliticsAside
PoliticsAside: A Conversation with Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar
Congressman Porter had the opportunity to sit down with Nevada's Secretary of State, Cisco Aguilar as SOS Aguilar shared his insights on the future of elections, the potential future impact of artificial intelligence in our elections, and the excitement in Nevada over FormulaOne and the 2024 Superbowl.
Welcome to Politics Aside, as you know. I only ask that you sit back, relax, put Politics Aside for a few moments and enjoy the show. Today we have a really special guest here in Washington DC. It's our Secretary of State, cicil Aguiar. He is here for a number of reasons and I'm gonna save the bile for a moment. But first, secretary of State, why are you in Washington today? What's happening at the White House?
Speaker 2:We had our amazing Golden Knights come to the White House to bring the Stanley Cup and get a congratulations from the President of the United States. And what was that team's name? Again Las Vegas, golden Knights, vegas, golden Knights, vegas that's okay.
Speaker 1:Vegas Golden Knights no, no, no, it's awesome. We just wanna remind people why they were here today. So I'm excited that you're able to attend very special day for Nevada, for all the folks who brought the team to town.
Speaker 2:Yes, and hopefully they'll deliver a win tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Well, and then there's yeah it's like, okay, that's today Right. Yeah, what's tomorrow, right? So we better stick around and see what happens. But, what a great team and great for the community, plus as a former chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission. What else is happening in Vegas this week, next week and then into January and February?
Speaker 2:Well, first of all we have Formula One, which is pretty incredible to have that opportunity to take a place not only just in the national sports scene, but this is a global scene. This is putting Las Vegas, this is putting Nevada on the global trajectory to being the sports capital of not only the country, the sports capital of the world.
Speaker 1:So travel the capital of the world. Tourism capital of the world, of course. Gaming capital of the world. Sports capital of the world, right and gold producer of the world and gold producer, absolutely, and a great place for economic development, which we'll address later on. But having started with those things that are really close to home, I wanna cover for our listeners some of your background. It's impressive. I apologize first for that.
Speaker 2:No, no, it's amazing.
Speaker 1:Of course, you were elected Secretary of State in Nevada in 2022 and were sworn in January of 23. You prior to that, you were general counsel of the Agassi Foundation for Education correct. Also special counsel to the Nevada Chancellor of System of Higher Education, mr Rogers, and a lawyer for the parent company of the NBC affiliates in Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada. Founding chairman at St Viator's Preparatory High School college preparatory Christa Ray it's an incredible model Outstanding.
Speaker 1:And then eight years as chair of the Nevada Athletic Commission. Two years as chair, but I was a member of the Commission, We'll get it right and I know campaign's well, he made that up.
Speaker 1:I would say eight years and two as chair. Thank you for your service. There's a lot going on now in bringing back to the national footprint of Nevada as one of the targeted states going into the election and before we get into the actual campaigns. As you see them, I'm hearing challenges across the country for Secretary of State. So what's happening? What are you hearing?
Speaker 2:and to kind of share that, Well, I think it's a double-edged sword. First of all, it's exciting to know that people are enthusiastic about our elections. They care about the elections, they want to learn about the process. However, the other side is sometimes that enthusiasm changes a little bit and turns into angst, which then creates angst among the election workers, especially our poll workers. You know, our elections don't work without the people, and when you talk about poll workers, those are truly everyday community citizens who understand what our democracy is, believe in our democracy and spend quite a bit of time making sure we all have the opportunity to vote. And when they're afraid to show up to a polling site, we have a problem and we have to really focus on the value of the human and the people in this process.
Speaker 1:And a lot of them are volunteers as well. There's some paid, but also people volunteer to help.
Speaker 2:I mean what they're paid and what you and I are doing for the day it is voluntary. I say this all the time. Poll workers and election workers are the unsung heroes of our democracy. They make sure it works for all of us and we need to respect them. We need to understand what sacrifices they're making and really make them feel protected in the work that they're doing. Nobody should ever have to go work in an environment where they feel intimidated, harassed or scared.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and having your honor to have been on Nevada ballot numerous times and having a chance to stop by and say hi to election workers and seeing their passion for safety and security of the system and for the candidates, but also for the families in Nevada across the country. You've mentioned trying to create a pipeline for more individuals to help out. Can you talk about that a little bit?
Speaker 2:You know, one of the things I think in the past, election workers have always been great employees in government that have said oh, my friend works in elections. There's an opportunity for me to get a promotion or move up in the pay grade system and go and work in elections. Right now that's no longer happening, and so we have to figure out is how do we create that pipeline? Elections are getting more nuanced and they're getting more scrutiny, and so people that work in these positions need to understand the role that they play, and so we have to start figuring out where is this talent going to develop? The other thing is, as we start to look at younger generations, they're starting to understand the importance of elections. They want to get involved. They want this to be their career. I think young people today are looking for jobs that are mission and vision driven no other place to work that really has a purpose, to be able to make advance our country and our communities, and so we need to start being smarter and develop that pipeline.
Speaker 1:So what's it going to take to do that? What can we do to help as you create a system that can do that?
Speaker 2:I think we need to start looking at what is a career path look like for somebody within the education space. Where do they start, where do they get the training, where do they get the education? And then figuring out how do we grow them into the process, and I think there's some really interesting things. I went to law school and in law school, when you wanted that practical experience, you would look at a clinic, and I think there are some ways we could really solve this problem, especially with Nevada being a battleground state. We are a purple state, we are a swing state, which makes elections a high profile position, and we have 17 clerks in our state. Each county is represented by the clerks. 11 of those individuals are brand new Wow, this election cycle. So that means we are having to spend a significant amount of time, especially in the secretary's office, making sure they have the support, they have the resources, but also being there as a place where they can go and ask a question when necessary.
Speaker 1:So the workers actually and I'm sure every state's a little bit different, but within Nevada they are employed by the particular county.
Speaker 2:So the secretary state's office has the division of elections. I have a deputy who serves as the elections deputy, but in locally, in the counties, the counties actually run the elections. They are the ones who are setting up polling sites, they are processing the ballots. But in those 17 counties there is a clerk and in 15 of those 17, they're elected by their community and then work with the county commission to drive and execute the elections. But in Washoe and Clark, where we have the population centers, those are appointed by their local county commissioners.
Speaker 1:I see so, as we look at Nevada again, moving forward with the election cycle, so Nevada has a caucus and they have a primary. Can you explain that?
Speaker 2:Sure you know, over the decades each party has swung back and forth between a primary and a caucus and I think in 21, the legislature passed a bill to ensure that the secretary state's office was prepared to run a primary. For both major parties that primary can be the Democrats this year have decided to use that primary as a way to allocate its national delegates to select their candidate for president. On the Republican side, they have chosen to run a caucus to allocate their delegates. However, even though they've chosen to use a caucus, secretary state's office must by law continue to run that primary, but it's only advisory for the Republicans at this point.
Speaker 1:Okay, so it could have two different results. You potentially can't.
Speaker 2:And potentially you could have candidates be in the caucus and in the primary. Yes, but the Nevada state Republican party decided that they were going to make some rules around their caucus and saying anybody who participates in the primary cannot participate in the caucus.
Speaker 1:Well, I know we're not political consultants, but I'm actually to see how that unfolds and what it really means after election day one year from tomorrow. Right, right, as that evolves, so they can, as a candidate can, decide.
Speaker 2:They can. It's up to the candidate and their team to determine where they want to participate in the primary, they want to participate in the caucus.
Speaker 1:So how's that evolved? Those deadlines have passed. Correct, that is correct. So how does it stand? Who's in the caucus and who's in the primary?
Speaker 2:So in the caucus, foreign President Trump is in there, you have Chris Christie and you also have, oh, the governor to Santis of Florida, yes, and then on the primary side is Nikki Haley, mike Pence, but Mike Pence has since withdrawn. Tim Scott is also withdrawn, but their names still have to appear on the ballot, Even if they were drawn. The names still remains on the ballot because it's after the deadline of when they could withdraw.
Speaker 2:So, and I'm not making up these I know these are rules that are in, passed by the legislature, signed by the governor, and so I have to follow the law. My job as Secretary of State is to follow the law. I'm there to be a regulator, I'm there to be the referee, but when the law says X, I have to follow it.
Speaker 1:So, as you interpret the law right, which is your job, and is that in concert with the Attorney General's office, or you have your own counsel?
Speaker 2:Well, I have a DAG. There's a deputy attorney general that works with our office. We've been to court already in a couple of these issues. The judge has ruled and said that, yes, the secretary must follow the law, and here's what the law says very clearly. So we are following the law. I don't want to go to jail.
Speaker 1:We don't want you to go to jail. So, speaking of that, as the anxiety level of the impassioned voters are concerned about the future of their community, their state, its country and the world, it's as you mentioned early. It's kind of heightened that anxiety to levels of people being a little less than pleasant. There's attacks being proposed against Secretary of State.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know for example, last week I was in the national news that certain states throughout the country received a letter with fentanyl powder in that letter and if somebody were to touch it, that creates an unforeseen result. So those issues exist within the election world, which is why we talked about the people and the process and why it's so important that we fight back and push back against these bad actors, because it's not easy being an elections official, but we need elections officials and your authority.
Speaker 1:so, assuming there has been abuses, maybe on both sides I'm not predicting, but let's say that there has been then is that up to the AG's office then to move forward, or law enforcement, or how does it work?
Speaker 2:Look first, you know, law enforcement are the ones who enforce the law. Once the law has been presented, law enforcement determines there is a potential violation of that law. Then obviously everybody gets their due process. They get their time to court to describe or to fend themselves, and that's where the attorney general's office comes into play.
Speaker 1:And, by the way, the attorney general was just here. Last week he was here in DC as well. But then, on the technology side, certainly there is the law, and some new regulations were passed by the Nevada legislature. More specifically, how do you see the you know, artificial intelligence, ai now evolving rapidly in the election press?
Speaker 2:You know, ai is just scary in general. Right, it's bringing a whole new process to a lot of things that we do as human beings. It scares me. Within the election space, however, states and local governments don't have the resources to deal with AI and to ask somebody to make this their expertise. We're never going to have the resources to deal with AI at the local or the state level. This is really when we're going to depend on the federal government, because the federal government has the massive resources, has the infrastructure, has that intellectual base to be able to deal with this issue.
Speaker 2:And you know, somebody asked me within the federal government a couple of weeks ago in the vet and said what are you doing about AI? I said, you know, as elections officials, we're barely struggling to make sure that the actual infrastructure exists for a polling site. Now you throw on the responsibility of AI. That is something beyond the resources that we have. What we really need to do in this country is really work on stable and consistent election funding. Right now, election funding comes in. You know, ups and downs Sounds like Congress Well, and it's just what it is is. You know, the business world would never operate like this. What you're asking people to do is be reactive. You're not encouraging people to be strategic, and when you're not being strategic, you're not making the best decisions. And this is where AI comes into play. You're going to ask us to deal with AI but, at the same time, have a really inconsistent funding structure.
Speaker 1:Do you see, through the National Association and through Congress, senate, is legislation now being crafted to help on the election side, or is it moving so fast that we're not there?
Speaker 2:yet I think, one it's moving so fast, but it's also to getting people that are consistent or moderate, who can come to the table and have a honest conversation about what we need to do to invest in our election infrastructure, and unfortunately that's not occurring, which is scary.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's again seeing, through the years, the different cycles of issues that have percolated. Politicians bless them, bless us always looking for a common enemy in campaigns. And it seems to me today, moving forward, the election process is going to remain one of the primary election talking points for a distance right. I mean, it's become one of those issues you have, or integration, you have social issues, you have what's happening around the world, but it seems to me that election issues are going to become a staple of politics.
Speaker 2:And it becomes my responsibility to bring that transparency. If we can start to bring transparency at a greater level into our elections, I think you will start to see some of that trust. But it comes with transparency and education. We have to continually educate the voter about the process, about the systems and fortunately Nevada the governor and the legislature believed in that transparency and we are building an election management system that will help us get voters to understand why we run some of the best elections in the country.
Speaker 1:You have such a solid reputation of building bridges, building coalitions. It appears that you have a lot of support during the last November legislature.
Speaker 2:On both sides of the aisle. You know, one of the things I'm really proud of is at the legislative level. We passed a bill to make it a felony and to harass or intimidate election workers. That bill passed unanimously out of the legislative Senate, the legislative assembly, and then it went to the governor and then the governor truly supported that bill, which was great to see. This was not just hey, this is a political move, this is about the best interest of our state as a whole.
Speaker 1:So possibly you could explain how that works in Nevada every two years. So you're crafting legislation now I'm assuming for 25.
Speaker 2:We are, we're working. You know we have to do our budget on a two-year cycle. We have to have our legislative agenda ready to go on a two-year cycle and in the secretary's office, it's my responsibility to talk to all 17 clerks, find out what some of their operational challenges are, some of the things they would like to see change, and we start to develop that agenda very slowly as we start and we have to go find advocates for us in the legislature as well, and with the election coming up, there's going to be a new members of the assembly, there's going to be new members of the Senate, and so we have to figure out how do we educate the legislators as well and then start to drive that policy angle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because of the turnover and with term limits, all those things. So now you have, like you said, you have to train, educate and get to know future politicians, or future members, because most of this you know.
Speaker 2:You look at the makeup of the 17 clerks across the state. It's you know, it's both sides of the aisle there and try to build consensus on our operations. That'll allow us to do the best job we can for all of the veterans.
Speaker 1:I guess, before we leave elections. What do you see happening then into the future? What keeps you up at night when it comes to the election process, and what tools do you need to help with whatever that is specifically.
Speaker 2:What keeps me up is making sure we have the right talent to lead our elections. That really scares me, because if we don't have the people, we're not going to have the secure elections that we have, and people need to realize and recognize what these individuals sacrificed. Most election workers are there for a job. They're there to earn a living, to put food on the table for their families. They're not there coming with a predetermined agenda, and so it's really making sure we're developing that pipeline of workers, and it's also, too, it's going to be an issue throughout the West, and so can Nevada figure out how to take a leadership role in developing that election talent for the rest of the country?
Speaker 1:So is part of that talent wishlist is going to be understanding of AI a little bit. It has to be An understanding of the science, even that of a blockchain technology.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So this interesting thing about Nevada especially in Northern Nevada, we are really building a incubator in a community of technology. Where do we use technology to make government more efficient? So I've been talking to our other constitutional officers and saying, hey, you know, ai does provide some benefits. How are we going to implement AI into government to make sure that we are doing things that's in the best interest of the citizens?
Speaker 2:And there are some processes that are just so archaic in government but nobody's taking the time to understand them that we can start to implement AI into some of those opportunities. Getting into the voting is very different and that is scary as well. So is that the action of voting in the voting trends or the action of voting, just the action and the information that AI would provide as it relates to voting? You know, in our office, too, we found some efficiencies and processes to implement blockchain, and we're already seeing the benefits of the end user. You know, people who are using that process, using that system, are giving us glowing reviews because it has cut down the amount of time it's taking them to get what they need from government.
Speaker 1:So can you explain how you're using blockchain today?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we actually use it today for our domestic partnerships. So the Secretary of State's office overseas?
Speaker 1:You do things other than just elections business or corporate. I don't see a gift. There's other things that you do besides elections.
Speaker 2:But in government, you have to be incremental in your decision making, right? You know the ideal world? Yes, blockchain would exist for corporate filings, business filings, you see, because it would allow the end user to have more control over their filings and their system. But you have to start small first and start to build that, and that's why we decided to start with domestic partnerships, so somebody can come in file with it.
Speaker 1:So you're talking logistics in the business partnerships. That is correct. That domestic means Nevada.
Speaker 2:Well, no domestic partnerships. Are two individuals that we've decided to forego marriage and get into a partnership.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see, Because there are business partnerships and there is a relationship Correct.
Speaker 2:There's personal relationships that qualify as domestic partnerships. And then there's the corporate and business filing side. That's where the corporations, business partnerships come into play, but on the personal side, we're using blockchain for those licenses so that they have access to that when it comes to banking, it comes to healthcare, comes to decision making as a couple.
Speaker 1:So I guess, as we're talking about corporate America for a moment, nevada is on the forefront Again. We mentioned all the industries that you represent and, of course, mining is right there at the top, amongst others. Are we still one of the fastest business growing states? I think we are.
Speaker 2:But in my office we're the recorders right, and right now we're struggling because our system's old, it hasn't been upgraded, it tends to be not logical, and so it makes it difficult for an everyday user to use that system. We want to retain our status as the Delaware of the West and so it's going to take some significant investment in that system. That system generates over $220 million on an annual basis and the sad part is over the last five years we've lost about 30% of our market share, and that's about $60 million on an annual basis. Those revenue of renewals or growth, just initial establishing of businesses. It's renewals because a lot of people are now going to Wyoming Idaho and North Dakota. It was easier, yes, with technology. Their technology is up to date. Their processes are simpler. I get frustrated when people have to say they have to hire an attorney to deal with the Secretary of State's office because they don't know what to do, and when somebody has to spend $1,000 on a lawyer, that's $1,000 they're not putting in their business.
Speaker 1:Not that we don't like lawyers, right.
Speaker 2:Exactly. I think there's an appropriate place. As a lawyer, there are things that we should be focused on and there are things that we shouldn't have to be focused on, especially when it comes to the pocketbook of our citizens of Nevada.
Speaker 1:The Secretary of State's role has evolved through the years, and you've had a lot of great predecessors that have helped build the program. It just seems like things now are moving faster and faster and faster, and the foundation, of course, laid by Barbara Svazki and others that I know, think the world of you as well. What do you see happening, then, with election? Now we're one year off plus a day. Do you see any changes in early voting or any of those processes? What should Nevada expect in 2020?
Speaker 2:I think what you're going to see is continued adoption of the mail ballot. You're going to see a lot of messaging coming through from both sides to say, hey, nevada is secure in its process. This actually works. It increases access for everybody across the state. It doesn't only work for our urban cores, but this is critical to the engagement of our rural communities. It's critical to our native tribes because they don't have easy access to government services, and so we have to figure out to take hey, this is what Nevada looks like. This is what we need to do to provide the best service. This is what we need to do to provide the greatest access Because, at the end of the day, the greater number of people we have participating in our voting process, the better understanding we have as government leaders to know what Nevada's demand from us and where they want to see our state go.
Speaker 1:So from that perspective, do you see, with the advent of changes, new forms of technology from the machine or the in-person voting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you'll see continued advancements. You will see continued. You know you'll see processes get smoother, get more transparent. Right now we use two systems. From a tabulation perspective, we use the Dominion machines, we use ES and S, and 15 of our counties use Dominion, two of our counties use ES and S, and so you're going to see them advance as well from a security perspective. But on the overall universal mail ballot program, you're going to see security increase as well. What we're doing is every mail ballot will receive a unique identifier that will allow the voter to track their ballot from the time it leaves the clerk's office to the time it arrives in their mailbox. I call it a pizza tracker.
Speaker 1:Oh, I was saying, by the way, we're starting to expect that right. I mean we have technology to track our pizzas. Where's our baggage Right, where's the pizza? And so that technology readily available.
Speaker 2:It is the United States Postal Service. You know, as frustrating as they can be sometimes, they have super great technology and we just have to figure out how to incorporate it into our processes.
Speaker 1:So just a couple of questions that I know you have to go and we appreciate you stopping by today, a beautiful day in Washington DC. Why did you have just a stellar resume. You've worked with some of the sports leaders of the world and you were in the network television council work for the university system. Did you wake up one day and go? I'm going to run for sector or state.
Speaker 2:This is a great opportunity when you work for individuals like Andre Agassiz, stephanie Graf and Jim Rogers is at some point in your life you have an obligation to pay your community rent. It's finding that time and place to be able to stand up and say you know, I'm going to take this. I got it. I think I had the opportunity to build Crystal Ray in North Las Vegas and talking to those students in November of 2020 and understanding what their opinions are, the voting process, understanding why their parents didn't engage Look, I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for my education, which was a great public education.
Speaker 2:We all deserve a strong public education. Crystal Ray is a school for 400 students. That school is going to thrive for those students and families. Clark County is the fifth largest school district in the country. It's majority minority and unfortunately, we're not doing the best job for those students and families. And if we're going to change those outcomes, it requires those parents to have access to the polls and if they elect individuals who are going to believe in their education process and then hold those leaders accountable for those outcomes, it's going to come down to the ballot box and that's what I can do.
Speaker 1:Well, again, you're experiencing all levels, but I do think our listeners would like to hear just a moment about your world and the Agassiz Foundation's Andre and Stephanie, and all the wonderful things they've done for the community and MASHLA. My first experience and I think Congressman Horstford and I worked on this together at the time when I was in the state Senate and then here in Washington, and it was the charter schools. At the time, major investment on their part, helping serve a community that was underserved, created the charter schools that now is a model across the country. What was it like working for Stephanie, andre and the foundation?
Speaker 2:It was incredible. You talk about two people who have accomplished so much on a global scale but find the humility and the passion to serve their local community, and do it without any recognition, to do it quietly and to demand.
Speaker 1:They don't want to, even they don't want to thank you.
Speaker 2:They're still super engaged in our community, but they do it in a way that's just very quiet and they get personal satisfaction knowing and seeing the results that they're creating. I think what you're going to see, too, is Stephanie stepping up a little bit when it comes to the mental health issues we're experiencing as a state. She has her foundation in Hamburg, germany, which deals with, which you've spent some time with on the ground in Germany.
Speaker 2:It's gotten. Her foundation has gotten more impactful given what's happening in Ukraine. A lot of the refugees coming from Ukraine are coming into Germany. The German government turned her and said we need your help to rehabilitate some of these students and these families. Stephanie goes. Not only do we need that help in Hamburg, she has that experience there. She can bring that to Nevada to help our own community.
Speaker 1:Secretary of State Cisco. I appreciate your friendship and your years of leadership in Nevada and looking forward to a trajectory as well as you help build upon the Secretary of State's office and your leadership, because it's not just about elections, it's not just about corporate America, it's not just about domestic relations within the law, but you do a lot of things above and beyond.
Speaker 2:Thank you, but it's elected leaders like yourself who set the example of what it means to be elected in Nevada. Nevada is so different from the rest of the country that once, yes, we compete when we're coming to parties and election, but once you're elected, it's your job to represent all of Nevada Well.
Speaker 1:I guess on that, as we conclude, we're fortunate in Nevada. It is a small state but a powerful state, as our federal delegation is growing in strength and prominence and influence and, with the administration in Nevada, I'm really proud of everything that's being done and the fact the cooperation is so strong as a model for the rest of the country. Cisco, thank you. Thank you, secretary of State of Nevada. I appreciate your time and again, all I ask is to take a few moments and put politics aside. Enjoy national leaders, as our Secretary of State is in Nevada. So thank you for joining us today.
