Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced the nomination of Veronica Degraffenreid to serve as the next Secretary of the Commonwealth. Degraffenreid is currently serving as acting secretary of the Department of State.
“Veronica Degraffenreid is a nationally respected expert in election administration and the perfect person to lead the Department of State,” said Gov. Wolf. “Veronica has extensive experience in operating elections from security and poll worker training to voter registration, voting site administration and modern voting systems. In addition, in her role as acting secretary, Veronica has shown excellent leadership across the department’s responsibilities, including supporting economic development through corporate filings and transactions and protecting public health and safety through professional licensure.”
Degraffenreid joined the Department of State on February 10, 2020, as the Special Advisor on Election Modernization. In this role, she worked with all 67 counties to ensure support and resources during the 2020 election, including sufficient PPE to keep election workers and voters safe during the pandemic. Degraffenreid also led the first expanded county liaisons program, which matched Department of State staff with election officials in each county to provide information and more direct access to the department during a busy election year.
Previously, Degraffenreid served for over a decade in various roles with the North Carolina Board of Elections, including six years as Director of Election Operations. In this role she managed a team of election technology and election program specialists responsible for providing training, support and administrative oversight to North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections.
Prior to joining the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Degraffenreid was a Special Litigation Legal Assistant with the North Carolina Department of Justice for nearly 10 years, specializing in redistricting and election-related litigation.
Degraffenreid graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.
“I am honored to be nominated to serve as Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Acting Secretary Degraffenreid. “In my time with the Department of State, I have had the privilege of working with outstanding staff at the state and county levels, and I look forward to continuing our good work together to serve Pennsylvania voters, licensees, business owners, non-profit and charitable organizations and state athletics.”
View Acting Secretary Degraffenreid’s bio and portrait.
Veronica Degraffenreid was appointed Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth on February 8, 2021. In this role, Degraffenreid leads the Pennsylvania Department of State.
The mission of the Department is to promote the integrity of the electoral process, to support economic development through corporate filings and transactions, and to protect the health and safety of the public through professional licensure. The department upholds the highest standards of ethics and competence in the areas of elections, campaign finance, notarization, professional and occupational licensure, charitable solicitation, and professional boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Degraffenreid joined the Department on February 10, 2020, as the Special Advisor on Election Modernization. Previously, Degraffenreid served as Director of Election Operations for the North Carolina State Board of Elections where, for six years, she managed a team of election technology and election program specialists responsible for providing training, support and administrative oversight to North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections. The program areas under her supervision included voter registration, voting processes, precinct and voting site administration, election event administration and voting systems. She led efforts to modernize North Carolina’s aging statewide voter registration and election management system and developed the state’s first voting systems certification program.
Prior to joining the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Degraffenreid was a Special Litigation Legal Assistant with the North Carolina Department of Justice for nearly 10 years, specializing in redistricting and election-related litigation.
Degraffenreid is a graduate of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. She is married and the proud mom of two daughters in college and one son in high school.
