My accomplishments

Civics

Stephanie believes that every person should have access to the information they need to understand how government works. To make participation in our democracy easier and more accessible, she has focused on creating programs that connect people directly to the civic process.

She developed the “Power of Civics” learning tool, a free online training course designed to help people better understand how government works and how to have a voice. She also launched the Connect & Cut series at community barber shops and hosted trivia events at local libraries to engage community members in conversations about civics in a welcoming and interactive way.

Stephanie created Poll Worker Appreciation events to honor the dedicated residents who have served their communities for decades by helping run local elections. Encouraging civic participation also means recognizing those who make long-term commitments to keeping our elections running smoothly.

Because civic education should start early, she has expanded Secretary Merrill’s Red, White, and Blue Schools Program, which recognizes K–12 public and private schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to civic education and student engagement. In anticipation of a poll worker and election worker shortage, she also created a first-of-its-kind program in the nation and won funding to create the Next Gen Elections program.

Stephanie also created the Next Gen Elections Program to strengthen Connecticut’s elections for the future. One of the biggest challenges facing election administration nationwide is finding enough trained election workers, so she launched this program to bring college students into the process and help towns run smooth, secure elections. Students in the program worked directly at polling locations across Connecticut in 2024 and 2025, contributing over 2000 hours of service during these elections and gaining hands-on experience in election administration.Many participants have already said the program inspired them to stay involved in elections and public service, helping build the next generation of civic leaders.

Three boys and a woman pose together in a voting-related event setting.

Safe and Secure Elections

Stephanie has continually worked with the legislature to modernize our elections and tighten security to ensure they remain both accessible and secure. .

Closing loopholes related to absentee ballot issuance and return.
Protecting voter privacy around the release of personal data
Relieving municipalities from unnecessary administrative burdens
Modernizing the early voting process for ballots to be fed directly into tabulators

Together, these reforms help modernize Connecticut’s election infrastructure and ensure our voting systems remain secure, accessible, and efficient for all voters.

During her time as Secretary of the State, Stephanie has prioritized making voting accessible and simple for everyone. To modernize the process, she secured a historic investment of $20 million to purchase new tabulators that had not been updated in 17 years, as well as a new Voter registration system that had not been updated in 25 years. She implemented early voting for the first time in Connecticut.

Stephanie has also worked to ensure that absentee voting remains a reliable option for those who cannot vote in person. Absentee ballots have been part of Connecticut’s election system since 1864. In 2024 alone, more than 120,000 Connecticut voters cast absentee ballots. This option ensures that voters who cannot cast a ballot in person, including individuals with disabilities, can still participate in our democracy on their terms.

To make voting more inclusive, Stephanie implemented the Voting Rights Act requirements that provide language-related assistance in qualifying municipalities. She also appointed two Election Monitors and launched a voter education campaign in Bridgeport to help ensure elections remain secure and that voters have the information they need to participate confidently.

In 2025, Stephanie was invited to testify before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Elections in Washington, D.C., where she shared Connecticut’s successful experience of expanding elections through the adoption of early voting, while also keeping them safe.

During her testimony, she made the case that elections are strongest when they are administered locally by the communities that know their voters best. Connecticut has built a system that is bi-partisan, secure, accessible, and trusted, and she made clear to members of Congress that federal overreach could undermine the progress our state has made.

Standing before Congress, Stephanie advocated for Connecticut voters and taxpayers, our election workers, and the principle that states must retain the authority to run their own elections.

Business Services

As a former small business owner herself, Stephanie has always been committed to improving the experience of business owners operating in Connecticut.

After taking office, the first thing Stephanie did was create a newsletter that aggregates free resources, trainings, and grant opportunities that are emailed to business owners every month.

In addition to proposing fee reductions to the legislature, Stephanie has also worked with the business services department to successfully implement greater fraud protection services to protect Connecticut business owners from escalating scams.

She has also modernized services by rolling out an online apostile request platform and a statewide trade name database to make every day transactions easier for those who need them most.