MONTPELIER, Vt. – On Tuesday, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced he won’t be seeking re-election this November, and plans to retire when his term is up.

In his 12 years as Secretary of State, Condos has been a fierce advocate for transparency and voting access.

“While I have enjoyed this job every day, I am looking forward to a new chapter next January at the conclusion of my current term,” Condos said.

Condos will leave behind a state election infrastructure vastly different from the one seen upon his arrival.

“Same day registration, automatic voter registration, online voter registration, ADA accessible voting, enhanced cybersecurity, universal vote-by-mail, ballot drop boxes, and, ballot curing,” Condos said.

He also helped transition the Secretary of State’s office away from an outdated and paper-driven system toward a digital one, which has made it easier for people to access key election documents.

“The position of Secretary of State is critically important in the protection of citizens’ voting rights and upholding our democracy,” Condos said. “It should not be viewed as merely a stepping-stone for higher office.”

For Condos and other election officials, upholding democracy has become a much more intensive effort in recent years.

“Our Democracy is in dire straits right now, and I really believe that we have to take steps to re-take and reset the democratic principles that we have always operated under,” Condos said.

His concerns lie primarily with what he called a ‘massive disinformation campaign’ spreading across the country, and fueled by social media. If you recall, Condos spent most of the 2020 election cycle batting down false claims of a stolen election.

“There has been really not a bit of truth in any of the false charges that have been levied nationwide,” Condos said.

While serving as Vermont Secretary of State, Condos also served as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, and testified before Congress on voting and election cybersecurity.