I saw Debra Bowen speak at USENIX Security this year and it struck me how completely intimate she was with all associated technology. She understood PKI, variou

I saw Debra Bowen speak at USENIX Security this year and it struck me how completely intimate she was with all associated technology. She understood PKI, various encryption methods and their caveats, open source, operating systems, issues of intellectual properties and her drive to get it right the first time was eye-opening. The stereotype of politicians being technology-inept and low-bidder-first type people was totally shattered with her. Not only did she truly care about the voting process (and dedicates a huge portion of her time to it), she actually took the time to understand the backing technology and made contacts with mostly everyone who matter in e-voting.