As registered voters across the nation prepare to cast their ballots in the upcoming November midterm elections, questions surrounding the integrity, protection, and operational reliability of voting systems remain at the forefront of public attention. In response to these pressing national and regional concerns, community organizers in Ontario County have placed election resilience at the center of their upcoming civic programming.
The George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum will formally launch its 15th season on Sunday, Sept. 20, by convening key election officials to analyze the protocols designed to protect modern voting procedures. The opening event, titled "Protecting Your Ballot: Election Security Ahead of the 2026 Midterms," is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center, located at 20 Fort Hill Ave. in Canandaigua.
The presentation aims to give attendees a clear understanding of the layered safeguards protecting the democratic process. Organizers designed the session to explore how contemporary election infrastructure is defended against emerging vulnerabilities, how technical threats are identified before causing disruption, and what operational steps are actively being taken to maintain broad public trust in official election results.
Two top representatives from the New York State Board of Elections will lead the keynote discussion, providing expert perspective from the administrative and technical front lines of state governance. Together, they bring extensive direct knowledge of how voting policies and cybersecurity operations are implemented across New York's diverse voting jurisdictions.
Among the featured speakers is Ben Spear, who serves as the chief information security officer for the New York State Board of Elections. In this executive capacity, Spear draws upon years of specialized, hands-on experience in defending critical election infrastructure, having monitored and addressed cybersecurity issues at both the state and national levels throughout his professional career.
Spear’s work directly involves developing defenses against digital disruptions, shielding voting networks, and coordinating with broader cybersecurity networks to ensure that balloting machines, registration databases, and reporting channels remain resilient against sophisticated digital threats. His insights will address the unseen technological apparatus that keeps modern voting systems secure.
Joining Spear on the stage is Kathleen McGrath, the director of public information for the New York State Board of Elections. As the primary communications director and chief spokesperson for the state agency, McGrath manages public-facing educational outreach across several key sectors of state election administration.
McGrath oversees official communications regarding ballot access, voter education campaigns, security updates, and compliance with statutory campaign finance reporting rules. Her role emphasizes transparent communication between state regulators and the electorate, helping citizens navigate changes in voting administration while combating misinformation regarding the electoral process.
The community conversation will be moderated by Evan Dawson, the veteran broadcaster and host of the daily public affairs program "Connections" on WXXI. Dawson will guide the dialogue, facilitating an accessible conversation between the state officials and the audience regarding the complex mechanics of modern balloting.
The opening session sets the stage for a wide-ranging 15th season for the Canandaigua Forum, which will feature a series of high-profile guest speakers addressing critical developments in medical research, national cybersecurity defense, and the entertainment industry.
The speaker series will continue on Oct. 11 with a healthcare presentation titled "Facing Parkinson's: New Science, New Strategies, Real Lives." The panel will feature Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Sarah Whittingham as they examine the latest breakthroughs in Parkinson's disease research alongside the real-world experiences of patients and families navigating the condition. That event will be moderated by Maggie Kuhl, representing the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
In the spring, the series will shift focus back to national defense with a forum scheduled for March 7, 2027, titled "Defending the Digital Frontier: Understanding Today's Cyber Risks and Tomorrow's Solutions." The featured speaker will be Gen. Tim Haugh, the former director of the National Security Agency and former commander of U.S. Cyber Command.
Haugh's session on defense policy and cybersecurity strategies will be moderated by Canandaigua native Michael O'Hanlon, a senior defense and foreign policy scholar with the Brookings Institution.
The season will conclude on April 18, 2027, with "Scenes from a Storied Career: An Entertaining Conversation with Tom Fontana." The Buffalo-born Emmy Award-winning writer, playwright, and producer is renowned for his influential television work, which includes acclaimed series such as "St. Elsewhere," "Homicide: Life on the Street," and the groundbreaking drama "Oz."
Fontana's retrospective discussion will be moderated by author, journalist, and fellow Canandaigua native Michael Winship, offering audience members an inside look at the evolution of storytelling, scriptwriting, and creative production over multiple decades of television history.
The George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum continues its mission of enriching civic, intellectual, and cultural engagement across the Finger Lakes region by providing an open platform for dialogue on critical contemporary issues. All events throughout the season will be hosted at the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center, with admission tickets priced at $30 and available through the organization's website at gmeforum.org or via the venue's box office.
(0)