Secretary of State Releases Final Brewer Voting Action Plan

PHOENIX -- Secretary of State Jan Brewer announced today the release of the Final Brewer Voting Action Plan. The preliminary Brewer Voting Action Plan was released for public comment on December 20, 2004. 

The Brewer Voting Action Plan represents a one-year statewide evaluation and review of Arizona's election and voting processes. Secretary Brewer kicked off the effort in December of 2003 to address the local and nationwide concerns with election processes and technology. The assessment focused on election technology, policies, procedures, and security and resulted in many findings. The findings and subsequent analysis led to nine areas of recommendations, which include:

• Improving election operational procedures to ensure fair and accurate elections.
• Increasing security procedures to raise the public confidence of elections.
• Requiring a voter verified paper ballot for all types of voting systems used in Arizona.
• Increasing the sharing of information and lessons learned.
• Providing formal security awareness information, training, education, and procedures within the election workforce.
• Strengthening current state certification policies and standards for voting equipment and software to increase verifiability and transparency in the election process.
• Implementing standards and recommendations from the Election Assistance Commission.
• Modernizing election equipment and software.
• Enhancing the statewide voter registration system and processes.

Several enhancements were made to the final Plan based on the public comments, including new recommendations concerning voter education, voting system certification, and logic and accuracy testing. Other public comments were incorporated to clarify and expand on certain recommendations such as the impact of Proposition 200, additional security items, and certification requirements.

“I want to thank those groups and citizens that took the time to review the preliminary plan and provide comments to me,” Secretary Brewer said. “The comments received have served to enhance the overall plan.” “I also want to thank the Legislature for taking steps to implement several of the recommendations contained in the plan this session,” said Secretary Brewer.

The release of the Brewer Voting Action Plan is part of Secretary Brewer's ongoing commitment to ensure integrity in our election process. “I look forward to working with interested groups, legislators, county and local election officials, and the general public in implementing these important recommendations," Secretary Brewer said.

The Action Plan is available at the Secretary of State's Web site, www.azsos.gov. Most of the recommendations in the plan will be implemented in time for the 2006 Federal Elections.

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