Tre Hargett, the Secretary of State (SOS) of Tennessee, visited Sewanee this Monday, February 8th. Approximately 30 people came to see Tre Hargett in Blackman Auditorium--primarily Republicans. He talked about the role of his office in matters such as voting, education, lottery, charities, and ended with a Q&A session.
The position and responsibilities of the SOS varies between states. The position’s title even varies across state lines. As for what Tre Hargett does for the state of Tennessee, his official government website states: “the duty to keep a register of the official acts and proceedings of the governor, and, when required, to lay same, all papers, minutes and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly.’’ Furthermore, Tre Hargett serves on multiple state boards and agencies including the Public Records Commission, State Funding Board, and Tennessee Park and Greenways Commission.
Much of Hargett’s speech dealt with voting issues in the state of Tennessee. He is a firm believer that Tennesseans are the “customers” in a government and should get the best value for their dollar; he believes his new polling system where paper ballots will be eliminated in 2012 will eventually save tax payers money.
Another issue he addressed was making the voting system honest. Hargett helped implement a system where 13 states could check to see if any of its residents were registered to vote in a different state, and if they were, that resident would be removed from his prior state’s registration.
Tre Hargett, an admirer and lover of our campus, told students in the audience, “You should be thankful for going to one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.”
While discussing educational and vocational endeavors he stated that “we should follow what our hearts want and do what will make us happy.” He also advised the crowd that “everyone should do some public service because you owe it to the common man.”
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