Tony Miller for Secretary of State

The Times endorses Democrat Tony Miller for California’s secretary of state. Miller has been acting secretary of state since February when March Fong Eu resigned from the post to become U.S. ambassador to Micronesia. Miller is an attorney who has spent the last 18 years working in the secretary of state’s office, first as its chief legal counsel and then as Eu’s top deputy.

Miller is well qualified for the office and has some innovative ideas that are worth a try. His Republican opponent, Bill Jones, who represents the 29th Assembly District in Fresno, is a veteran state legislator, respected and well-liked. But for this office, the Times prefers Miller.

Jones argues that Miller will continue to manage the office as it has been for nearly 20 years. Not so--at least judging by what Miller has done during his short time as acting secretary of state. The secretary of state (annual salary: $90,000) coordinates elections and voter registration, collects campaign fund-raising reports, maintains state historical archives and handles a variety of business filings, including corporate records and trademark applications. The office also puts out the statewide ballot pamphlet, which this year, thanks to Miller, is easier to read and includes photos of candidates for the first time.

Major issues in the race are curbing incidents of voter fraud and abuse, cleaning out the state’s voter rolls, increasing voter turnout and doing something about the small-business start-up tax.

Miller has created an anti-fraud unit within the secretary of state’s office to focus on voter abuse. He says the state can, and should, save $12 million by clearing out deadwood--duplicate registrations and names of the deceased--from voter rolls. He advocates a single, statewide system to conduct a positive purge of voter rolls.

To expand voter participation, Miller had supported AB 271, which would have implemented the federal motor-voter bill. The measure died, however, when Gov. Pete Wilson refused to sign it. Jones claims to support the motor-voter idea, but did not back AB 271. Under Miller, a pilot weekend voting program is set in 20 counties, including Los Angeles and Orange, with local registrar offices open to voters the two weekends before Nov. 8.

And Miller wants to eliminate the $800 small-business-start-up tax. All worthwhile ideas. We urge a vote for him.