Az

Arizona ⁤Attorney General Challenges Secretary of State’s ElectionProcedures

PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney⁣ General Kris mayes has expanded‌ her ⁢challenge too Secretary of⁢ State⁢ Adrian Fontes‘ 2026 election procedure manual, citing concerns ⁢over interpretations ⁣of state law regarding early voting access and ballot counting ​procedures. The dispute, revealed in a recent letter from Mayes to Fontes, underscores ongoing tensions over election management in the state following the 2020⁤ election and subsequent legal ⁤battles.

The ⁤Attorney General’s office is questioning fontes’ guidance on several key areas​ within the manual, which ⁤outlines ‍how elections will be run in ⁢Arizona’s 15 counties. These ⁤include rules surrounding early in-person voting ⁣locations, the use of tabulation machines for initial ballot counts,​ and​ protections for⁢ voters from⁣ interference.

One point of‌ contention centers on⁢ early​ voting access. Fontes’ manual states that counties “shall establish in-person early voting locations…as practicable to ensure that all ⁢voters may reasonably ​access at least one early voting location.” Mayes argues this contradicts state‌ law, which states that officials “may establish on-site⁢ early ⁣voting locations…deemed ⁣necessary or appropriate by the recorder.”

The Attorney General⁢ is​ also challenging Fontes’ position that⁤ counties are required to use tabulation machines for the⁤ initial counting of ballots, except during the post-election hand-count audit mandated by statute. Fontes cites state law stating ballots can be‍ hand-counted only if it “becomes impracticable to‌ count all or a part of the ballots with tabulating equipment.” Mayes points to a separate line in state law‌ that says ballots “may be cast, ​recorded and counted by voting or marking⁤ devices⁣ and vote tabulating devices.” Some election lawyers in the state have​ previously noted the law on this issue is ⁣unclear.

The⁤ dispute also touches ⁣on voter intimidation. Fontes,‍ when asked last month ⁢about revisions to the manual, said his office ‌was “trying to walk the line between some of the crazy rulings that we’ve‍ seen coming out of the court that seem to protect the First Amendment ⁢rights of ⁤people⁢ who​ would scream at voters in line, and those first Amendment rights of voters to peaceably assemble.” ⁣

The Attorney General’s‌ challenge​ signals a potentially protracted legal battle over election procedures in Arizona, a state that has been at the centre‌ of national scrutiny over election integrity. Jen Fifield is ‌a reporter for Votebeat‌ based in Arizona and can be reached at jfifield@votebeat.org.