Photo by Andy Miller

Meet the new boss of the D.C. Board of Elections, same as the old boss.

Alice Miller served as DCBOE’s general counsel in 1992 and 1993, and as executive director from 1992 to 2008, when she left to become the first chief operating officer at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

Now, following a nationwide search that began when then-executive director Clifford Tatum announced he was departing for the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission at the end of 2015, Miller is back for more.

She returns as executive director on July 6, after the primary results are certified. Senior staff attorney Terri Stroud has been serving as interim executive director for the past six months.

“There isn’t any reason not to return,” Miller says. “It’s a committed group of folks.”

She says she applied through the regular process, and had a series of conversations with the Board that led to her rehiring.

One thing that’ll be on her desk: a recent report from the D.C. Auditor’s Office found that deceased people remained on voter rolls.

“Obviously we want the registry to be as clean as it possibly can get,” says Miller. “We have not had the opportunity to review the substance of report with the election right on the heels of the report’s release. We take it seriously. We have to review what’s in it and come out with an appropriate response.” According to Miller, DCBOE requested an extension from the auditor so they could respond after the primary, but did not receive one.

The November election isn’t the only thing in Miller’s viewfinder. “We interact with the public regularly,” she says. “When anyone needs services from the agency, regardless of what those services might be, from registration to information to data, we want to be ready to respond and prepared to give the information requested without delay or hesitation.”

Miller says that incorporating technology will be another big focus for her. When she left DCBOE in 2008, the iPhone had only been out for a year. Now the independent agency has its own app to help people register and get information about voting.

“One of the major changes is the upgrade of all the technology,” she says. “It changes daily and the Board tries to keep up.”

DCBOE is using new voting machines and tabulators this election, acquired in a two-year leasing agreement. Margarita Mikhaylova, the agency’s spokesperson, says that the new machines will allow a quicker release of results, which will come in one batch.

As recently as six months ago, though, it remained an open question whether DCBOE would have updated machines in time for tomorrow’s primary, and if they’d be able to train poll workers to use them.

Mikhaylova says DCBOE has recruited and trained almost 2,000 people. For regular poll workers, training is four hours long, while precinct captains receive a full day of training. Workers receive a stipend.

Miller says she’s heard positive feedback about the new machines from early voters. “The new equipment has been user-friendly and we hope that continues tomorrow,” she says.

Already, more residents took advantage of early voting in the primaries than in 2012. A total of 15,260 voters headed to the polls early this go-around, as compared to 6,247

“We’re excited,” Miller says. “We always want our voters to come out and express themselves through the ballot. We’re having a party and everyone’s invited.”