Hon. Pedro A. Cortés

Executive Vice President

"My passion for fair, accessible, accurate and secure elections is rooted in the belief that democratic societies cannot survive if the voice of their people cannot be heard. Everyone Counts is committed to advancing this principle by assisting election administrators and the voters we ultimately serve."

The Honorable Pedro A. Cortés has worked tirelessly to protect the integrity of the electoral process and has a track record of ensuring that every vote is counted. As Pennsylvania Secretary of State from 2003 to 2010, he holds the distinction of being the longest serving in the Commonwealth's history.

As Secretary, Cortés successfully administered 15 primary and general elections in Pennsylvania and led the implementation of the Help America Vote Act. During that time, the state transitioned from punch cards and lever machines to electronic voting systems. The Commonwealth also consolidated its 67 county voter registration systems into a centralized database that maximizes accuracy and efficiency.

Cortés was also the first Pennsylvanian to serve as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), a position he held during the 2008 Presidential Election cycle. Under his leadership, the association strengthened cooperative relationships between the states and actively engaged the White House, Congress and federal agencies. In 2008, Cortés led a delegation of secretaries of state to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Germany at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense. During this historic visit, Cortés met with the troops to discuss increased ballot access and improvements to their voting experience. That year, Pennsylvania participated in the Federal Voting Assistance Program's Voter Registration and Ballot Delivery system.

Cortés is dedicated to ensuring that military and overseas electors can exercise their right to vote. In 2005, Cortés chaired the Pennsylvania Election Reform Task Force. The Task Force's work and recommendations ultimately led to the passage of Act 45 of 2006, which extended the deadline for receipt of UOCAVA absentee ballots from the Friday before Election Day to seven days after.

Cortés earned his Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration from the University of Massachusetts, a Master of Public Administration from Penn State University and a Law Degree from Penn State Dickinson School of Law.

Cortés brings to Everyone Counts the professionalism and work ethic that characterized his tenure in the public sector.