Apparently one election wasn’t enough for A. Ralph Mollis.

After winning his bid for secretary of state last fall, Mollis ran this summer for a seat on the executive board of the National Association of Secretaries of State, and was elected by the association membership.

Mollis was sworn in as vice president for the eastern region -- which covers Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Puerto Rico and the New England states -- during the organization’s annual meeting in Portland, Ore., this summer.

He is 1 of 11 members of the board that oversees the organization’s activities including election administration, business services, e-government and governmental relations with Congress and the White House.

He is one of two first-term secretaries of state to serve on the board.

The board president, Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, said Mollis distinguished himself in part with his Voters First initiative, which convened a committee that conducted a series of community hearings on election-reform proposals, and which Mollis has said will produce legislation to be introduced next session. Mollis "demonstrated real leadership” through the initiative, Rokita was quoted as saying in a news release from Mollis’ office.

“This seat gives Rhode Island a national voice on election reform and the presidential primary, among other issues,” Mollis said in the release. “I look forward to playing an active role in having our state influence national policies that affect how Americans govern themselves.”

dbarbari@projo.com