Richard Mahoney (Independent, Clean Elections Candidate, http://www.mahoneyforgovernor.com/)
(about Richard Mahoney...)

I will implement new archiving systems and cross-relational databases to preserve and further make records available to the public. Front-end development is essential to reduce need for in person librarians and increase navigation and instantaneous online access of public documents to the general public.

Janet Napolitano (Democrat, Clean Elections Candidate, http://www.governor.state.az.us/)
(about Janet Napolitano...)

I strongly support efforts to shine more light into the workings of state government, and agree that the state should afford reasonable and appropriate electronic access to public records. Although the state's current budget crunch limits its ability to upgrade its technological capacity, ultimately the price of allowing members of the public to do their own searches for public documents may be less than the cost of government workers' time spent searching for requested documents. As Attorney General, I have implemented a document retention policy that specifically includes archiving state-related e-mails, and as Governor, I will work to ensure that all state agencies adopt and adhere to sensible document retention policies.

Matt Salmon (Republican, http://www.salmonforgovernor.com/)
(about Matt Salmon...)

Major new technologies always require paradigm shifts in government in order to fully incorporate their use. In the early 20th Century, the automobile changed forever the way cities and towns are laid out and the level of expenditure required for infrastructure. In the late 20th Century, the ubiquitous use of the PC computer changed the way government bureaucracy works, eliminating such things as stenographers, typing pools, and whole levels of civil service activity.

Now, in the 21st Century, the concept of "paperless" government (meaning documents that are never put to paper, but are created, viewed, propagated, and finally stored electronically) requires a new paradigm. The laws, regulations and processes applying to paper based governance don't always apply to these "digital" documents.

As Governor, I will place the highest priority on ensuring that we have both the resources and the strategic policies in place to accommodate this paradigm shift. Immediate changes are necessary just to keep pace with the current volumes. Laws need updating to fully protect these new digital forms of vital records. Appropriations should be re-directed to ensure proper document storage and accessibility to current and future generations of citizens. Electronic identity and security policies must be more fully established to protect both our rights of access to such documents, and our individual rights of privacy. These initiatives require urgent attention and will require education, leadership, commitment and cooperation within all branches of government.