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“I just love my state and I would love to get to know it
better,” O’Shaughnessy said. “If I ever have an opportunity
to run state-wide then I am going to do it because there’s
no better way to get to know the people throughout Ohio.”
Public service is a virtual heritage of the O’Shaughnessy
family beginning with her great-grandfather who first ran
for office in 1910. Family members have served in an
assortment of elected roles from the state legislature to
the Columbus City Council. Her father has served as a state
senator.
The position of the Secretary of State is a critical
position because
“it is about our precious right to vote,” said O’Shaugnessy.
Two main duties of the Secretary of State are serving as the
chief elections officer and running the Business Services
Division.
As the chief elections officer, the Secretary of State
manages the election process and appoints members to the
Board of Elections in 88 of Ohio’s counties. O’Shaughnessy
commented on the need to continue the work that the current
Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, has accomplished to
ensure a smooth and fair election process in the future.
“We must make sure that we have smooth elections, make
advances to the next step and look at easier ways for voting
and circulating petitions without compromising security,”
she said. “Making voting secure, making every vote count and
making sure that we have ease of access to the counting is
essential to do that.”
As the Secretary of State, O’Shaughnessy plans to increase
voter participation by making registration effortless in
person and on the Internet and by continuing the Early
Voting Center. She also would like to increase young voter
participation by working with teachers to implement a
curriculum showing students, first-hand, those who have
fought for our right to vote.
The Business Services Division grants permission to Ohio and
out-of-state corporations to do business in Ohio. The
division approves and keeps documentation of all businesses’
information.
“The SOS office is the repository of all the information on
all the paper that is generated by the Ohio General
Assembly,” she said. “We make sure it is [Business Services]
going to the next level and is an asset to job development
in Ohio.”
As with any political position, there are controversies and
problems that need to be corrected after one takes office.
It is no different for the Secretary of State.
One thing O’Shaughnessy sees that needs improvement is the
partnership with the Board of Elections.
“We have to make sure we’re not putting out directives that
do not hinder their business, but are instead an asset,” she
said. “We have to make sure that every vote is counted and
does count because people who think their vote matters tend
to not participate.”
Another issue facing the Secretary of State’s office is the
crowding of polling places due to the lack of working
polling machines like in the 2000 and 2004 elections. This
would be solved by working with the Board of Elections to
assess their needs and making certain they have the
resources to be at their best. In addition, she feels that
every county needs a backup measure—a paper ballot backup
measure designed to keep the election efficient.
During Republican Ken Blackwell’s term as Secretary Of
State, the office was perceived as being notoriously
partisan in some of its decisions. O’Shaughnessy says that
she will not be endorsing or advancing any issue or
candidate during her term. She wants to be a “fair and
practical referee.”
Currently, O’Shaughnessy serves as Clerk of the Franklin
County Court of Common Pleas. She oversees a vast system of
county records, a staff of 231 and a budget of $12.5
million.
“I have the local, legislative and
administrative experience,” she said. “What I do at Clerk of
Courts is very similar to what Secretary Of State does when
it comes to document management. The public needs someone
who understands the job directly.”
The next step for the potential Secretary of
State is to run for re-election because she feels that there
is no other position of any interest.
“I want to make sure that our Democracy works and give the
people the representation they need to make things go in
their community,” she said. “It’s just critically important
and I am anxious to get there to do the work as the
Secretary of State.”
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