SEDONA AZ–“I watched decisions being made on our behalf,” Arizona Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Chris Deschene said, “and I faced an election 
challenge that sought to depress the vote and stop voters in my district from being heard. So I was interested in improving the state of our elections. I have a simple vision and a priority and my vision is to be inclusive. That means that we are going to work to be sure every qualified voter gets their ballots counted and that every citizen is registered and able to vote.”
Democratic candidate Chris Deschene wants to protect the integrity of elections. He sees a need to address the training and preparation of poll workers and he wants to look at security of our election voting machines. He also wants to take a hard look at the laws governing certification of elections.
Deschene wants to run an open, fair and transparent office. and said, “One way I will do that is that I have made a non-endorsement pledge, to not endorse as an elections officer.”
Voting machines need to be addressed, according to Deschene. The use of the machines stems from the 2002 HAVA bill in which Congress required states to change their machines and standardize voter registration and make improvements for those with disabilities. The areas of concern are to make sure that the machines are secure, accurate and reliable. And there must be a system to audit the vote count. Election laws should support that process.
“HAVA requires that the counties must develop a standardized process,” candidate Deschene said. “At one time we had 15 different election standards, now we are bringing it to a unified process. That process comes directly to the Secretary of State. The process of standardizing ballots is underway, but they are still working on things like chain of custody, we don’t want any questions that the count has been tampered with.”
In Democrat Chris Deschene’s 2008 race, there were challenges for both his nominating signatures and with the petition for Clean Elections Funds. Under Title 16, P.O.Boxes are acceptable addresses, an important factor in rural Arizona where many people use a P.O.Box as their primary address. His nomination was challenged, in spite of having almost 100% more signatures than required, because many of them had P.O.Box addresses, which is the norm in his rural area. His election funding was also withheld until days before the election. Ultimately, Deschene prevailed, but it made him aware of voting issues within Arizona.
Because voting districts often cross county lines, there may be numerous election agencies involved in a single race. Leadership from the Secretary of State is important, to ensure consistency across county boundaries, according to Deschene. “Jan Brewer, the Secretary of State at the time, did not take the lead or resolve the issue. I had to go to court and the court looked at three different counties. The county recorders didn’t have any cross county communication.”
It took an investigation from the Department of Justice to resolve the issue, and Deschene’s signatures were approved 100%. But it took months, for something that could have been solved in hours by Arizona’s leading election official, the Secretary of State.
The experience led Deschene to sponsor bill 2730, to require recognition of P.O.Box addresses by statute. His seatmate, Hill, from Window Rock, had a similar bill, because he faced the same issue in his election. That bill was SB 1422, which was ultimately substituted for Deschene’s and supported by him. It passed.
Deschene said, “If we want a state that is inclusive and ensures that our fundamental rights are protected, we need a Secretary of State who is experienced. I am an attorney and an engineer, so I have no problem with the complexity of the voting issues. I am comfortable with the process, have accomplished this legislation and I hope the voters support me.”
For more information for to www.descheneforarizona.com
Article by Joni Dahlstrom, sedonaeye.com Staff Writer JoniD@eSedona.net Sedona Times Publishing Election Central c2010
