PRESS RELEASE & ATTACHED STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
December
12, 2003
For
more information, contact Kevin Tyne at (602) 542-0681
Sec. of State Announces New Voting System Action Plan to be Formulated
Brewer Strives
for Improved Election Administration and Building more Confidence in Elections
PHOENIX – Secretary of State Jan Brewer announced today she
will lead a new effort to formulate a voting system action plan that will
address statewide voting systems and technology. The plan specifically calls for new voting system guidelines, increased
sharing of information among election offices, and annual reviews to enhance
election certification policies and standards.
In a statement released by Secretary Brewer, she noted, “I
remain highly confident that Arizona’s statewide election process…is as
accurate and reliable as any jurisdiction in the country.” Secretary Brewer added, “Today, I am announcing
the formulation of a new Arizona Voting System Action Plan as part of
my ongoing commitment to ensure integrity in our election process.”
Some initial factors to be considered as part of Secretary
Brewer’s plan include:
·
Introduce formal State voting system security guidelines that
incorporate state and federal standards as well as industry best practices;
·
Establish (semi-annual) post-election committee meetings among
state and county election officers to identify and recommend voting system
process improvements;
·
Increase the sharing of information amongst election offices
that share similar voting equipment with the establishment of voting system
user groups (including vendors and local jurisdictions);
·
Create a semi-annual forum hosted by the Secretary of State’s
office amongst state, county, and local voting system experts to address
voting system improvements;
·
Provide formal security awareness information, training, education,
and procedures within the election workforce;
·
Review and enhance current State certification policies and
standards for voting equipment and software including:
o
Accreditation guidelines.
o
Incorporate recommendations from the current State Certification
Committee.
o
Review other state and local jurisdiction best practices for
voting system certifications.
The Secretary of State’s office will seek an outside
and independent consulting firm which specializes in election technology
to help formulate this plan with considerable input from local county
and city election offices, outside election experts, and the general public.
-30-
Statement by Secretary of State Janice K. Brewer
Announcing Formulation of
AZ Secretary of State Voting System Action Plan
In
light of recent nationwide attention regarding voting systems, I feel
compelled to bring the voters of Arizona up to speed on ways our state,
counties, and cities are working to ensure integrity in our overall election
process.
I
remain highly confident that Arizona’s statewide election process – including
all of our procedures, rules, training of workers, equipment testing,
management and tabulation – is as accurate and reliable as any jurisdiction
in the country. We have some of
the most dedicated and honest election workers who continue to build public
confidence, make certain that votes are properly counted, and ensure integrity
in our election process.
Over
the past year, my office has moved forward to ensure that all Arizonans
are voting on equipment that minimizes the possibility of accidental overvotes
and other voting controversies as discovered in the 2000 Presidential
elections in Florida. We recently
adopted new voting system standards for all election workers to use as
part of our State Procedures Manual.
We also procured optical scan voting technology for those nine
counties still using punch card voting systems, thus ridding our state
of antiquated machines that previously may have led to “pregnant or hanging
chads.”
This past year, my office introduced the first
requirement ever in Arizona Revised Statute that voting equipment receives
full testing and certification by a federally accredited laboratory pursuant
to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).
Today
I am announcing the formulation of a new Arizona Voting System Action
plan as part of my ongoing commitment to ensure integrity in our election
process. This is my direct attempt to continually strive
for improved election administration and build even more confidence in
the accuracy and reliability of our election processes here in Arizona.
Over
the next few months, my office will work with an outside and independent
consulting firm which specializes in election technology to consider several
key issues for inclusion in this new plan.
We intend to compile a well thought out plan that incorporates
input from local county and cities, election experts, and the general
public.
Some
initial considerations for my new plan include:
·
Introduce
formal State voting system security guidelines that incorporates state
and federal standards as well as industry best practices
·
;Establish
semi-annual post-election committee meetings among state and county election
officers to identify and recommend voting system process improvements.
·
Increase
the sharing of information amongst election offices that share similar
voting equipment with the establishment of voting system user groups (including
vendors and local jurisdictions).
·
Create
a semi-annual forum hosted by the Secretary of State’s office amongst
state, county, and local voting system experts to address voting system
improvements.
·
Provide
formal security awareness information, training, education, and procedures
within the election workforce;
·
Review
and enhance current State certification policies and standards for voting
equipment and software including:
o
Accreditation guidelines.
o
Incorporate recommendations
from the current State Certification Committee.
o
Review other state and local
jurisdiction best practices for voting system certifications.
·
Review
and incorporate recommendations from the Federal Election Assistance Commission
and Standards Boards.
·
Provide
a public forum to discuss and enhance the findings of the Voting System
Action Plan.
It
is my hope that this action plan will be helpful to our election process
by developing solutions and providing solid building blocks toward a strong
statewide voting system process. I
truly believe the formulation of this plan will positively enhance our
state’s overall electoral process.
-30-
Secretary of State Publications
Publications
Arizona Secretary of
State
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