Everywhere I go, people ask if we will find the solution. Florida has long been an innovator and a progressive state in our elections issues. Now more than ever, I believe we should provide the leadership that will benefit Florida and our country. Because our democracy depends on it. Rest assured that as the State's Chief Elections Officer, I am guided by duty and conscience to pursue a comprehensive approach to reform, not a band-aid elixir that gives all of us some sense of reprieve before the next problem the next glitch the next outcry about process and fairness.
Problems surface in every election.
In the past, we applied a quick fix and moved on, only to face the reality that over time this approach led to a shambles of lost confidence and lost respect. We must restore and maintain the voter's confidence in the next election cycle and beyond beginning now. As Secretary of State, I believe this is the right thing to do. Florida will become one of only two states in the nation with a statewide, precinct -based, mark sense system. It is a milestone and it is important - but this is only the first step.