Jan Brewer Secretary of State

About me:

Janice K Brewer was elected Arizona Secretary of State on November 5, 2002. She was sworn into office on January 6, 2003.

Secretary of State Brewer serves as acting governor when the governor is out of state. She is first in the line of succession to the office of the governor. Among other duties, the Secretary of State serves as the chief elections officer of the state, registers all lobbyists and charitable organizations, commissions all notary publics, files secured financial transactions under the Uniform Commercial Code, and is the official custodian of the great seal of Arizona.

Secretary Brewer brings more than 23 years of public service to the Secretary of State's office. As a dedicated public servant she has always been committed to making government more accessible and efficient.

Upon taking office, Secretary Brewer made it a priority to identify immediate ways to save taxpayer dollars and address the ongoing state budget deficit. She had legislation introduced to update antiquated laws and remove unnecessary and duplicative publication requirements which cost thousands of tax dollars. Secretary Brewer also consolidated her workforce assignments, eliminated staff overtime, and abolished the use of non-essential state cell phones. These proactive moves help the office meet the mandated budget cuts of December 2002, while still providing timely and quality customer service to the public.

As chief elections officer, Secretary Brewer made it a priority to introduce and pass legislation which makes it easier for our overseas military soldiers and permanent residents to participate in our election process. This new law specifically assists those men and women serving our country abroad to register or to vote by fax or send registration information via the Internet.

Within the first 60 days in office, Secretary Brewer also took the lead on federal election reform by compiling the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) State Plan. Secretary Brewer's quick action placed Arizona second in the nation in accomplishing this mandate. Her new plan led to a successful strategy to get rid of punch card voting systems by 2004, create a centralized and uniform voter registration system which adds accuracy to the voter rolls, and have touch-screen voting devices for disabled voters in every precinct by the 2006 elections.

Before she became Secretary of State, Ms. Brewer was Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors -- the nation's fourth most populous county with over 3 million residents serving for nearly six years. Secretary Brewer also served in the Arizona State Legislature for 14 years, first as a state representative from 1983 to 1986, and then, as state senator from 1987 to 1996. As senator, she held the leadership position of Majority Whip from 1993 to 1996. In the legislature, Secretary Brewer served on several committees covering issues from health care to taxes.

Secretary Brewer has also served as: a governor's appointee on the Governor's Military Task Force dealing with base closure issues; the vice-chairman of Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC), where she worked with members of the criminal justice community to reduce crime in Arizona; vice-chairman of WESTMARC, a coalition of business and government leadership which focuses on economic development and growth issues; as Chairman of the Board of Directors for META Services Inc., a behavioral health service provider, and served as Co-Chairman of the Continuum of Care organization dealing with homeless issues including the new Maricopa County Homeless campus.

Secretary Brewer is also very active in many community and professional affiliations. She was a Charter Member of Luke Fighter Country Partnership, an organization dedicated to preserving the missions of Luke Air Force Base. She is a board member of Arizonans for Children and a member of the Westside Food Bank, the Arrowhead Republican Women's Club, the Maricopa County SMI Commission, the Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association, and the Japanese-American Citizens League.

Secretary Brewer is married to Dr. John Brewer and is mother of three sons. She is an active member of Life in Christ Lutheran Church in Glendale. Secretary Brewer has lived in Arizona since 1970.

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