My state Senator, Debra Bowen is deeply focused on “honest election” issues. She has two bills that passed the California legislature this session, and are sitting on Gov. Schwartzenegger’s desk. I’m supporting both, and would like to encourage you to as well.

Debra’s initiative reform bill, SB 1598, provides greater transparency in the process for gathering signatures on initiative petitions. First, it requires signature gatherers to disclose whether they’re paid or are volunteers. Second, the bill requires that petitions include a list of the top five contributors to the initiative campaign right at the top in large type.

The second bill, SB 1235, expands the use of hand recounts in California elections to gauge the accuracy of our voting systems. Current law, which Debra authored last year, requires that the 1% manual recount of randomly selected precincts include the paper trail from electronic voting machines. This year’s bill expands that recount requirement to include early voting and absentee votes — which by themselves represent as much as 40% of the votes cast in a typical California election — and requires that the result of this audit be made public.

Debra authored both of these bills to help restore public confidence in California’s elections process. We need more transparency in the funding of initiative campaigns, and we need to strengthen the auditing requirements of our elections to make sure that they are accurate.

Click here to go to a page on Bowen’s website and send a message to Gov. Schwarzenegger asking him to sign the bills.