North Carolina’s executive director of the State Board of Elections is set to be the 2026 president of the national association of state elections board directors.
Karen Brinson Bell recently was elected incoming president of the National Association of State Election Directors and was sworn in during the NASED conference in Washington, D.C. Bell was the organization’s vice president in 2024.
“Through this role on the NASED board, I interact routinely with election officials from across the United States as we learn from each other and improve elections,” Brinson Bell said. “I am proud of the work NASED does to help all election administrators succeed in making voting accessible, secure, and fair across the country.”
Kansas State Elections Director Bryan Caskey is serving as NASED president for 2025.
Other NASED officers for 2025-26 are: Mark Goins of Tennessee, vice president; Jonathan Brater of Michigan, treasurer; Monica Evans, District of Columbia, secretary; Mandy Vigil of New Mexico, immediate past president.
Brinson Bell has served as executive director of the State Board of Elections since June 2019. She has worked in elections administration since 2006 in county, state, and national roles. As North Carolina’s chief elections official, Brinson Bell leads about 65 employees at the state agency. The State Board administers elections and oversees campaign finance compliance. It also provides guidance on election laws and procedures to the 100 county boards of elections in North Carolina.
NASED is a nonpartisan professional organization made up of state election directors. It promotes accessible, accurate, and transparent elections in the 50 states and U.S. territories. NASED members meet twice a year to discuss the latest developments in election administration and learn from other states and experts about best practices in elections.
