(check out the live blogging here or at Courage campaign – promoted by SFBrianCL)
(Cross-posted from The California Courage Campaign)
You can view the debate live HERE starting at 2pm. And please join the conversation in the comments.
[UPDATE]Bowen clearly won. She was passionate, knowledgeable, attractive and managed to put the sitting Secretary of State on the defensive. Do you get the sense that McPherson hasn’t had to fight for re-election much in his career, because he did a crappy job of it today. Winner by knock-out: Bowen.
Spread the word!
Also, h/t to Juls for reminding us to vote for Debra over at Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriot PAC.
Technically, this debate is a live SF Chronicle editorial board meeting. Looks like they'll endorse based on this meeting. There's a controversy over this debate…they only invited the two major party candidates, not the additional 4 candidates that will be on the ballot. Good call, Chron.
The SOS and incumbent: Bruce McPherson
Democratic challenger: Democrat Debra Bowen.
Cue the opening remarks.
McPherson:
He is boasting about cleaning up the office of Secretary of State up. He implemented the toughest voting system in the country. He visited all the counties and met with the registrars personally. And he reached out to voters. He established a fax ballot for overseas military. He restored the nonpartisanship of the office. Right.
He's talking about his endorsements now, including the Long Beach Telegram.
"My opponent is running for SOS for 2 reasons: Florida and Ohio." You sure you want to remind people of that, Bruce?
Bowen:
Opening up processes is very much what I'm about. I am running because of the crisis of confidence in our voting systems. Decided to run 2 years ago when problems in the office became clear to her. When McPherson was appointed, "I put partisanship aside and my own ambitions aside, so I voted to confirm Bruce McPherson."
I think California voters have not been well-served by Bruce McPherson." She's now talking about the state-wide voter registration database that he agreed to with the Bush administration. 43% of LA County voters would not have been allowed on the voting rolls. Also certified Diebold TSX voting machines despite security flaws.
Open up the process, far too many secrets regarding the voting systems and counting the votes.
She's talking about the secrecy of the systems. And the disingenuousness of Bruce McPherson when he says that he has the toughest standards in the nation.
Oh yeah, props, "any of these keys can open a Diebold voting machine."
The only way to reassure people is to open up this whole process.
We out to go to open source code, open this all up. This problem would have been discovered long ago if there had been a public review."
McPherson is rebutting and is repeating his claim that he has instituted the strictest standards.
Ahh, he's addressing the Princeton report. He says the model that was tested in that report is the TS system and he certified the TSX.
"We also have a paper trail requirement…in large part because of me…to have CA be the first state to have a paper trail requirement."
McPherson: "I've overseen two successful elections and nobody's been disenfranchised in any election."
Bowen: "the security measures are always as good as the least effective person who implements them."
Damn, nice.
She's now talking about the sleepovers in San Diego County. "They could have been left unattended in cars, in a garage, anyware." And she pulled out the key again. Brilliant.
After the sleepovers, "the Secretary of State did absolutely nothing."
The minutiae of the voting machine issues are hard to follow but Bowen is coming across as the authority and McPherson seems like her apprentice.
She was asked if there is any electronic system that would be acceptable. She mentioned on that allows the voter to vote and prints a paper ballot which becomes the ballot of record.
"This is California, I have no doubt we can do even better than that…with open source software and that allows disabled voters to vote independently. We can do this, we just have to decide to do this."
McPherson used the "c" word, said Bowen is throwing out "conspiracies." Thing is she doesn't come off as a conspiracy theorist, she's totally credible.
He just said "I think she doesn't trust the county registrars, I do." OK, Bruce.
—–
OK, got a little heated there. Bruce is on the defensive. Bowen is on the offensive.
—-
Q: How do we deal with the increasing number of absentee ballots?
Absentee ballots are a big part of the election protection concerns on the right. They think CA absentee rules are too liberal.
He thinks the added check of the signature itself will add to the security of absentee ballots.
Bowen: "I introduced a measure in 1993 for people to become permanent absentee voters. It became law in 2000-2001. We can make that process better too."
"This year, one barrier, there is more than a 39 cent postage in many counties. Leaving the SOS scrambling after the fact with the post office to ensure people's votes will be delivered. I'm still concerned about that."
Re the signature match, some counties are experimenting with automating the signature match, even using Diebold machines.
McPherson jumped in: "I don't make deals with the post master general or anyone else."
Defenisve much?
——–
Q: If absentee ballots work so well, why don't we get rid of e-voting all together and go to paper like in Oregon.
Bowen: problem – in urban areas, people move a great deal. I have favored a system that allows people to register as permanent absentee but still allow them to go to the polls. I love to go to the polls. You feel like you're more a part of democracy.
McPherson: "I want 100% participation. As interesting as all mail ballot seems, the fact is that the larger population still goes to the polls and they should be able to do that. "
He's saying that we should offer people all options for voting.
——-
Q: Secretary, you say you support the ID law yet there's little evidence of fraud.
McPherson: "Not necessarily a photo ID but standards in assn w/HAVA — people could provide a variety of number of types of ID. I don't think it's too much to ask for the integrity of elections to present ID at the polls."
Q: Is there evidence that there has been evidence of fraud.
McPherson: "We have seen some, you hear about it every election. One person put his dog on the voting roll."
Bowen: "We actually do have a requirement that when people register they do have to present ID. I'm opposed to photo ID requirement at the polls. Have had to chase a birth certificate with her foster daughter — it took us a year and a half to get it, it's a good thing we didn't need it for her to vote."
"Every court that's looked at voter ID laws have found them unconstitutional."
—–
Bowen: "Only 15 cases of voter fraud throughout the entire country were charged. If every citizen has a valid photo ID, I'd support it, but that's not the case."
Q: What can the SOS office do to promote participation?
McPherson: 6 million eligible voters who are not registered to vote. He's been all over the state to encourage people to register including a student voter program. "In particular, young people are a concern to me."
"Fundamental core of democracy is on election day when we get to choose our representatives."
He's talking about problems that have occured and litigation involved. "I will prosecute those cases to the fullest extent."
Bowen: 1. SOS makes a deal of voter reg projects in ethnic communities but fact is that 43% of voters who registered in LA County during a few months of this year were predominantly women or ethnic voters w/Asian-American or Latino surnames.
2. "I go back to this key" (yeah prop!) "and the Diebold machines. People are tech savvy and they are skeptical. We have to fix this problem of confidence. Young people approach me about open source software."
3. "How we fund campaigns. The amount of money going into the legislature and constitutional officers keeps people home. In states with clean money participation has gone way up."
Nice plug for Prop 89!
—–
McPherson: "This thing about the 26,000 voters who couldn't vote have been mentioned twice and that's two too many." Was that supposed to be some catchy sound byte, Bruce?
He's defending the LA County disenfranchisement plan.
Bowen: "Plenty of ways to prevent duplicate registrations that doesn't disenfranchise anyone." There were 26,000 did not get a sample ballot so they weren't told where their polling place was. I can see why it is that only 263 of those 26,000 voters cast provisional votes.
——-
Bowen to McPherson: Do you personally believe that there are any serious problems with counting and auditing of any of the electronic systems you certified?
McPherson: "The proof is in the elections that I have overseen. We can trust the systems I put in place."
"Votes have been counted accurately and systems have performed well."
No matter how many ways you say it doesn't make it anymore true, Bruce.
He is now talking about disabled voters: they can only vote with electronic machines.
Bowen: There is a system called Vote Pad that your office did not certify does allow disabled voters to cast a ballot without an electronic voting machine."
And then "I DID NOT HEAR AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION." Aww yeah. "I don't know whether you believe the Princeton study and other tests are things are not serious."
—–
McPherson to Bowen: You'd decertify electronic voting machines that allow disabled and blind to vote independently.
Bowen: "You are scaring people in a way that is really shameful. For you to assert that if I were to win…when I do win…that I would disenfranchise voters is really shameful. Bruce, you and I have been friends for a long time, this is not your finest hour."
Wow.
——
Closing statements.
McPherson: My opponent has said she is running for the nation. I am running for California. He is now quoting the alarmist SacBee editorial that called her aggressive. He's just reading stuff now. Calling her an armchair quarterback. He said she's never offered a playbook of her own. Is he kidding?
He's literally just reading off editorials of other papers.
Bowen: Yes the editorial said "Support Debra Bowen, she'll secure your vote."
"What we see now is hastily certified unsecure systems, record low voter turnout (only 33% cast votes in primary.)..I've been an innovator, I'll work to expand the safe at home program (protects battered women, he opposed it), I have the technical expertise and know how to restore confidence and openness to our voting systems and I respectfully request your endorsement."
