Ten Questions for Secretary of State Candidates

Election season is upon us and the open seat contest for California Secretary of State has drawn a number of candidates, including several who will be debating each other this afternoon at a Sacramento Press Club event. 

Whenever there is an election for Secretary of State, I'm frequently asked for input on questions to be asked of the candidates. This year I've decided to post a list of suggested questions on my blog - here's hoping a few get asked today!

Ten Questions For Secretary of State Candidates

1. Many voters and would-be voters are uncomfortable with their personal information being made available to secondary users such as political parties and campaigns. As Secretary of State what if anything will you do to address the public’s voter data privacy concerns?

2. Federal law requires state government agencies to offer the public the opportunity to register to vote. What will you do as Secretary of State to ensure this happens?

3. California currently offers no statewide online lookup tools to help voters verify their registration status, locate their polling place or check on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. What will you do as Secretary of State to provide voters with access to these kinds of tools?

4. There is widespread agreement that the Cal-Access online disclosure system is in need of an overhaul. What specific changes do you want to see made to this system and how will you bring those changes about if elected Secretary of State?

5. Ten years ago California enacted a law to require electronic ballots to be backed up with a voter-verified paper audit trail. Do you support this law?

6. Funding for California counties has been withheld in the state budget since 2011, when Governor Jerry Brown proposed and legislature agreed to suspend the state mandated election programs and no longer provide funding to counties to support those programs. This includes the permanent vote-by-mail program which 43 percent of California’s registered voters are currently enrolled in. As Secretary of State what will you do to ensure counties carry out state election laws in a uniform way?

7. Many vote-by-mail ballots go uncounted in California due to late arrival or voter error. What would you do as Secretary of State to reduce the state’s unsuccessful vote-by-mail ballot rate (among the highest in the nation according to Pew’s Election Performance Index) and get more VBM ballots to be cast successfully and counted?

8. What is your opinion about voting over the Internet?

9. What guarantee can you give to California voters that their ballot was counted correctly? What will you do as Secretary of State to ensure the integrity and accuracy of California’s vote count?

10. Funding for the Secretary of State is provided for in the state budget. As Secretary of State what will you do to ensure that the Legislature and the Governor provide your agency with adequate funding to ensure you can carry out your duties as well as any additional goals and programs you wish to pursue?