- HOME
- About
- Topics
- Angelides
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- California Attorney General Race
- California Congressional Races
- California Democratic Party
- California Legislative Races
- California Lt. Governor Race
- California Presidential Primary
- California Secretary of State Race
- California State Budget
- California State Controller
- Campaign Finance Reform
- Campaigns
- Cell Phones
- Children and Families
- Consumer Rights
- Corporate Accountability
- Criminal Justice
- Death With Dignity
- Disaster Preparation
- Discrimination and Civil Rights
- Education
- Elections and Voting
- Electoral College
- Energy
- Environment
- Flood Control
- Food Safety
- Gas Prices
- Governor's Election Race
- Gun control
- Health Care
- Health Insurance
- High Speed Rail
- Hiram Johnson's Corner
- Housing
- Human Rights
- Humor
- Immigration
- Infrastructure
- Initiative Reform
- Insurance Commissioner Race
- Labor
- Language and Politics
- Legal System
- Media and Communication
- Minimum Wage
- Open Government
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Politics
- Preschool
- Prison Reform
- Privacy
- Privitization
- Prop 85 Parental Notification
- Prop 86 Tobacco Tax
- Prop 87--Alternative Energy
- Prop 90
- Prop 91--Transportation Funding
- Prop 92- Community Colleges
- Prop 93--Term Limits
- Props 94-97--Tribal Gaming
- Props 98 and 99
- Racial Disparities
- Redistricting/Reapportionment
- Responsible Lending
- Retirement Benefits for Public Employees
- Site of the Day
- Structure of California Government
- Taxes
- Toxic Chemicals
- Transportation/Transit
- Water
- Westly
- Workers' Compensation
- Stories
- REMEMBERING MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.-- April 4th Marks 40 Years Since His Assassination
- The Need for Redistricting Reform from This California Democrat’s Perspective
- The Grim Statistics of Californians Dying for Lack of Health Care Coverage
- Slash and Burn: Proposed Federal Budget Would Cut Environmental Programs Under Fire by Schwarzenegger Administration
- California College Students Plan Day of Action on Budget Cuts
- Spring Break, CALPIRG Style
- “Understanding California's School Funding Crisis: Why it's happening, what it means, and how it can be resolved” is our site of the day
- Hard Hitting Ads Against Denham in California Senate Recall Election Begin Running and Ask: “Don’t We Deserve Better?”
- G.O.P. Assembly Leader Proposes To Save California Public Education Cuts Without New Taxes--By Shifting School Money From Democratic To Republican School Districts
- Oceans Day 2008: Meeting with California Legislators on Issues So Important to Our Coastal State
- Dan Walters Needs Our Help on High Speed Rail in California
- California Sues Bush EPA to Comply With Year Old Supreme Court Ruling on Regulating Greenhouse Gases
- Directory
- Donate
- Contact Us
RSS Advertise Here
Deliver your message to thousands of readers every day.
Our readers are influential opinion makers - politicians, journalists and activists.
Our latest headlines
- Cavala: Musings on the California State Budget Deadlock
- Republican [Shhhh] Convention
- Assembly Budget Leadership Joins Governor Schwarzenegger in Pointing Out Irresponsibility of Republican Budget Proposal
- Barack Obama Mama goes to DNC in Denver
- California Will Comply With Medi-Cal Court Order - Will Restore Medi-Cal Provider Rates This Month
- Schwarzenegger Uses Manufactured Drought to Push Water Bond
- End of Session Summary: Environment Sees Progress But "Budget or Veto" Threat Causes Uncertainty About Bills' Future
About Us
The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.
About Frank Russo.
About California Progress Report.
Got a news tip? Want to write a guest column? Contact Frank here.
Sponsors
Today's Hearing on Electronic Voting Machines in California
Debra Bowen: Doing the Job She Said She Would When Elected California Secretary of State
By Frank D. Russo
Debra Bowen made headlines across the nation, including the New York Times, in the past few days, just doing what she said she would do when elected Secretary of State: Make sure that every vote is counted accurately and that every voter who wants to vote is able to do so and knows that his or her vote matters.
On Friday she announced that she had just hours before received reports from computer experts on electronic voting systems and would hold hearings today, even though she was not required to do so by law. She candidly told reporters that she had not read these reports, but that the documents would soon be posted on the Secretary of State's website (It was, and it's all there if you want to read it.) If she is to decertify any of these machines, she must act by Friday, which is six months before the next state election, The February 5, 2008 Presidential Primary Election.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Bowen, a lawyer by training, is going to go where the evidence takes her--calmly, deliberately, and with an eye towards what she can do to improving the process. Some of the headlines have screamed dramatically that every system was hackable, but Bowen cautioned reporters on Friday that there may be solutions to these and to not get carried away with the numbers of violations or superficial analyses. She has her eye on the ball.
Counting every vote accurately and restoring voters' confidence in the system are simple principles, but powerful ones. To some, they may seem like a cliché. But I've had the opportunity to watch Bowen as the Chair of the California Senate Elections Committee, a candidate for Secretary of State, and now as a statewide officeholder, and I've got to tell you: This is the real deal. She has been consistent in what she has said all along, and she is following through on exactly what got her elected to this position.
Before the election, Andy Katz wrote on these pages an article, "Debra Bowen for California Secretary of State: Honest Abe Lincoln Without the Stovepipe Hat?" He said at that time:
"Bowen has arguably been Sacramento's sharpest, most incorruptible legislator. Think of this former small-business lawyer from Illinois (by way of Southern California) as Honest Abe Lincoln without the stovepipe hat. She'll renew your faith that politicians can be simultaneously progressive, public-spirited, whip-smart, and extremely effective."
When Bowen raised her right hand to take the oath of office as Secretary of State in Janurary, she said:
“I spent 14 years in the Legislature working to build people’s confidence in democracy by opening up government and I will bring that same philosophy to the Secretary of State’s office. You don’t nurture liberty, encourage honesty, and build trust in our government and our elected officials – especially in this day and age – by restricting access to information. You do it by opening up those doors and inviting people like you to participate in the decision-making process because, after all, it is your government.
She continued “The first step toward restoring people’s faith and confidence in the integrity of our democracy is to conduct business in an open, transparent fashion that promotes public debate and discussion. That will be the hallmark of my administration, the foundation, if you will, and decisions about specific programs and projects will be based on those principles of openness and transparency.”
Let the sun shine in on today's hearings. You may be able to watch this via the California Channel starting at 10 a.m.. This should restore your faith in Democracy.
Comments
This is such an important story; I'm glad to see the coverage. Was there any mention today of Debra Bowen making preliminary decisions (re 2/5) and then continuing with the review?
Posted by: Sherry Reson at July 30, 2007 11:55 PM
Good information, I will wait for more information!!!
Posted by: Jany at September 19, 2007 12:55 AM
Post a comment
Get Email Updates
Want the California Progress Report by email? Once a week, we'll send you the latest and greatest headlines.
© 2008 California Progress Report Our copyright and fair use policy.
Powered by Mandate Media. Logo design by Jane Norling.
