NASCIO Report Spotlights Push for Seamless Digital Access for Residents

NASCIO President J.R. Sloan’s presidential initiative in 2026 is on citizen digital identity. This report finds that states are increasingly treating digital identity as a foundational component of modern government, moving away from fragmented, agency-by-agency systems toward centralized or hybrid enterprise approaches. Based on responses from CIOs, CISOs and CTOs in 47 states and territories, the research highlights growing efforts to create a more seamless “digital front door” for residents while strengthening identity assurance, fraud prevention and cybersecurity. States continue to face significant obstacles, including inadequate funding, siloed identity solutions, organizational resistance and technical debt, even as emerging AI-enabled threats add new urgency to the issue. Looking ahead, the report points toward enterprise identity platforms, adaptive security, reusable credentials and digital wallets as part of a broader shift toward secure, interoperable and citizen-centered digital identity ecosystems.