Brewer campaigns in Cave Creek, Carefree
GOP incumbent seeking another four years as Secretary of State
by Barry Cohen

CAVE CREEK – Although she didn’t specifically ask for their votes, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer made this much clear–she wants Cave Creek and Carefree voters to give her another four years in office.

The Republican incumbent, who is being challenged by Democrat Israel Torres, spoke at the Carefree Kiwanis Club luncheon last week.

Brewer, since taking office in 2003, oversaw implementation of the federally mandated Help America Vote Act (HAVA).  

“A lot of people had concerns about the things we were doing, but there wasn’t one hiccup,” Brewer said.

Under HAVA, Arizona was one of the first states to completely replace all antiquated punch card voting equipment with optical scan voting equipment. 

In addition, Brewer oversaw implementation of a controversial state initiative last year requiring Arizona voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote.

This September, polling places throughout the state will have new touch‑screen voting machines designed to allow disabled and visually impaired voters to cast their ballots in private. In her address to the club, Brewer said her administration established a centralized voter registration database and a new voter fraud hotline as well.

Brewer also said she made it possible for Arizona’s military and civilian voters serving overseas to cast their votes by fax.

She recalled a moment on election day in 2004 when the first such vote arrived by fax from an Arizona soldier in Afghanistan.

“Here was a someone exercising one of the very rights he was fighting for,” she said.

Reach the reporter at barry@thedesertadvocate.com.