Arizona Secretary of State
Janice K. Brewer (Republican)

Janice K. Brewer was elected Arizona Secretary of State on November 5, 2002. She was sworn into office on January 6, 2003.

Secretary of State Brewer serves as acting governor when the governor is out of state. She is first in the line of succession to the office of the governor. Among other duties, the Secretary of State serves as the chief elections officer of the state, registers all lobbyists and charitable organizations, commissions all notary publics, files secured financial transactions under the Uniform Commercial Code, and is the official custodian of the great seal of Arizona.

Secretary Brewer brings more than 24 years of public service to the secretary of state's office. As a dedicated public servant she has always been committed to making government more accessible and efficient.

As chief elections officer, Secretary Brewer made it a top priority to introduce and pass legislation which makes it easier for our overseas military soldiers and permanent residents to participate in our election process. This new law specifically assists those men and women serving our country abroad to register or to vote by fax or send registration information via the Internet.

Under Secretary Brewer's leadership, Arizona is now among the nations leaders in election reform and ensuring access to the democratic process:

•  We are the first and only state in the entire country that provides its citizens the ability to register to vote or modify their current voter registration electronically over the Internet.

•  Arizona was among the first to replace its antiquated punch card voting devices (no more hanging chads) with proven technology that includes an auditable paper record.

•  Arizona was also one of the first states in the entire country to successfully implement a statewide voter registration database that ensures the voter rolls are clean and accurate.

•  Voter registration has increased under the Brewer Administration to the highest rate in recent Arizona history, including an 18 ½ percent increase in 2004.

Before she became Secretary of State, Ms. Brewer was Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors -- the nation's fourth most populous county with over 3 million residents – serving for nearly six years. Secretary Brewer also served in the Arizona State Legislature for 14 years, first as a state representative from 1983 to 1986, and then, as state senator from 1987 to 1996. As senator, she held the leadership position of Majority Whip from 1993 to 1996. In the legislature, Secretary Brewer served on several committees covering issues from health care to taxes.

Secretary Brewer has also served as: a governor's appointee on the Governor's Military Task Force dealing with base closure issues; the vice-chairman of Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC), where she worked with members of the criminal justice community to reduce crime in Arizona; vice-chairman of WESTMARC, a coalition of business and government leadership which focuses on economic development and growth issues; as Chairman of the Board of Directors for META Services Inc., a behavioral health service provider, and served as Co-Chairman of the Continuum of Care organization dealing with homeless issues including the new Maricopa County Homeless campus.

Secretary Brewer is also very active in many community and professional affiliations. She was a founding member of Luke Fighter Country Partnership which is dedicated to preserving Luke Air Force Base, she is a board member of Arizonan's for Children, a member of the Westside Food Bank, the Arrowhead Republican Women's Club, the Maricopa County SMI Commission, the Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association, and the Japanese-American Citizens League.