Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections, recently was elected incoming president of the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED), putting her in line to serve as association president in 2026.
Brinson Bell was sworn in earlier this month during the NASED conference in Washington, D.C., after serving as the organization’s vice president in 2024.
Kansas State Elections Director Bryan Caskey was elected NASED president for 2025.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Director Brinson Bell and all members of NASED to improve the voting process for all Americans,” Caskey said.
Other NASED officers for 2025-26 are: Mark Goins (Tennessee), vice president; Jonathan Brater (Michigan), treasurer; Monica Evans (District of Columbia), secretary; Mandy Vigil (New Mexico), immediate past president.
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.
“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.”
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.