Patty Hansen was first elected Coconino County Recorder in 2012, after serving in elections administration for 24 years in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Arizona. She has been a strong advocate for opening up the voting franchise and speaking out about the voter suppression laws in Arizona and nationwide. Patty has also been active in increasing the involvement of women in exercising their right to vote. Since she began her career in elections over 31 years ago, she views elections as the way to determine the will of the governed and therefore a critical feature of a democracy. She has worked vigilantly against voter suppression efforts, whether on the state level (such as voter ID laws) or the national level (such as the elimination of pre-clearance rules). Patty has worked for Coconino County since 2003. Patty is the past president of the Arizona County Recorder Association, and she continues to work closely with her recorder and election colleagues on a variety of issues. She currently serves on the Arizona Association of County Officials Board of Directors. She is seen as a leader nationally and has been invited to serve on committees for the Election Center and the federal Election Assistance Administration.