A national certification program is helping election officials in New York City gain the most up-to-date knowledge on voter registration and elections administration.

A total of 1,600 of these certifications have been awarded nationally, including 15 in New York City.

One of the 15 includes Board of Elections executive director Michael Ryan.

These ‘Certified Election/Registration Administrative, or CERA certifications, are awarded after training in several aspects of the elections process to show a commitment to professionalism.

Ryan calls the certification process a comprehensive program - from election history to budgeting and anticipating trends.

New York City is the first and only jurisdiction in the state right now to have these certified elections administrators at the top levels of the elections office.