Dear citizens
Over the past few weeks since winning the June 6th Democratic primary, our campaign has been diligently laying the groundwork for a general election victory in November.

We're working hard to map out our media strategy, secure new endorsements, and finance the kind of statewide operation we'll need to win. And I'm continuing to travel across the state, meeting voters and speaking out about what I will do to clean-up our elections system as California's next Secretary of State.

But we still have a lot of work to do. Spreading our message across California will take thousands of volunteers and millions of dollars. You can give us the early boost we need -- right now -- to fuel our campaign heading into the dog days of summer.

Help me build a statewide campaign that will win in November -- please contribute today!

California's elections system still faces serious problems -- and don't let anyone tell you any differently. Unfortunately, our current Republican Secretary of State has not done what it takes to fix those problems.

Last week, computer scientists David Dill, Doug Jones, and Barbara Simons -- three experts in electronic voting systems -- wrote an op-ed describing yet another serious security flaw in the software used to run Diebold voting machines, a flaw that Michael Shamos, a voting system examiner in Pennsylvania, called “the most severe security flaw ever discovered in a voting system.” According to Dill, Jones, and Simons:

Diebold included a "back door" in its software, allowing anyone to change or modify the software. There are no technical safeguards in place to ensure that only authorized people can make changes. A malicious individual with access to a voting machine could rig the software without being detected.

What's more, according to Dill, Jones, and Simons, Diebold has known about this problem for at least two years.

Yet despite many serious security flaws, Diebold machines are still being used in more than 20 California counties. And apparently our Schwarzenegger-appointed Secretary of State Bruce McPherson doesn't see any problem with this.

I believe California deserves better. We deserve an elections system that is safe, accurate, and secure. And as California's next Secretary of State, that's what I'll deliver.

Help me clean up California's elections system -- please contribute to my campaign today!

Starting today, I'm chairing a series of hearings to investigate the voting problems experienced in California during the June 6th primary election. I'm looking forward to learning more about these election problems first-hand, starting today in Bakersfield -- and I'm looking forward even more to fixing them!

That's what I'll do as California's next Secretary of State. But I can't get there without your help.

Please contribute $25, $50, $100, or whatever you can afford today -- give our campaign a boost heading into these last 100 days before Election Day!

Thanks so much for your continued support. On to victory!

Sincerely,

Debra Bowen
California State Senator

P.S. Please forward this message along to 5 friends who share our commitment to safe, accurate, and secure elections in California!

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Paid for by Debra Bowen for Secretary of State
578 Washington Blvd. #409, Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(c) 2006 Debra Bowen for Secretary of State, ID #1271345