2016 OR Governor's race: on Government Reform

Kate Brown: Disclose lobbyist info & pay, on public website

BROWN: Bringing greater transparency to State government is one of my highest priorities. In the most recent legislative session, I am proud to have passed a bill requiring lobbyists to disclose on a publicly available website who they work for and what they are getting paid to do that work. One of the first things I did after being sworn in as Governor was to pass an ethics package designed to bring both more accountability and more transparency to our government. But I know that there is more work to do. I believe strongly that it shouldn't be easier to [track] a Fed Ex package than it is to find out what your government is doing. That is why I intend to create a Pubic Records Advocate--so that an independent entity can make public records available in a way that is faster, fairer and consistent.

Bob Niemeyer: Go back to voting in person, with verified photo ID

My vision for a voter system is:
• Use the DMV to create the voter rolls. (WITH PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP). The DMV has the know how to make photo ID's and print them.
• Use Facial Recognition systems to make sure that people do not have more than one voter ID.
• A person that does not have their photo ID could present some other form of ID that would bring their picture up for a visual verification check and facial recognition check.
• We could use scanning technology that already exist for counting the ballots. The same scanning technology used in our schools to grade tests. The ballots would be counted after the close of voting.

Kate Brown: Oregon sees high turnout because of vote-by-mail

Oregonians passed a referendum in 1998 to institute the vote-by-mail system--with almost 70% approval. Secretary Brown rejects the criticism that mail-in ballots diminish the sense of civic engagement people may feel standing in line with their fellow citizens on Election Day. She says Oregonians have block parties and talk to their neighbors; issues are discussed in churches and synagogues. "Civic engagement is much more meaningful and expansive when you have a ballot in hand for 2-1/2 weeks," Brown says. "Election Day is not just one day--it's several."

Kate Brown: 15 million ballots via vote-by-mail with only 9 fraud cases

A criticism of mail-in ballots is that there is more opportunity for voter fraud. Since 2000, 15 million ballots have been cast by mail in Oregon, but there have been only nine convictions of voter fraud, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown says. The state takes extensive measures to ensure that ballots are secure: each envelope has a unique barcode, election officials verify every signature, and there are cameras in every election office to monitor the counting. People can also check online to make sure their ballot was counted.