Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes testified before Congress on Wednesday about the state of our elections system. Public confidence in the process has been discredited, leading to increased threats against election workers, he said, and added that election administrators have not received sustained and dependable federal funding, even after being declared critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security.

"Do the same for highways and dams and railroads and see what happens. We implore you, please consider. If this is such a big deal and if it is so important that we continue to have free, fair and secure elections - fund them," he said.

Despite the federal government having sought to improve election administration through a grant program called the Help America Vote Act, unpredictable funding levels have left state officials unable to adequately plan budgets. Fontes said rising mis- and disinformation surrounding elections, as well as threats against elections workers, make the grants especially important.

During his testimony, Fontes argued that noncitizen voting is not a widespread or even significant problem. He recalled that in 2004, Arizona approved Proposition 200, which requires proof of citizenship to vote. But according to a 2016 study by the Brennan Center for Justice, improper noncitizen votes accounted for one out of every 10,000 votes across 42 jurisdictions. Fontes said the paranoia around what he terms a "fake problem" is having real impacts on eligible voters. During his time as Maricopa County recorder, he says his office found 94,000 rejected voter registration forms.

"Many, many thousands of them duplicate forms where voters tried and tried and tried again to register," he said. "And after thorough research, 47,000 eligible American citizens were found to have been denied the right to vote, because of that law."

Fontes called the situation embarrassing. Funding for the federal government is set to expire at the end of the month, and House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing pressure from House Republicans to use the deadline to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship in order to vote. Noncitizen voting is already illegal.


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It is the first day of early voting in Arizona and both presidential hopefuls will be making their cases to voters.

Gov. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn., the Democratic candidate for vice president, will attend events in the Phoenix area today, including a meeting with tribal leaders of the Gila River Indian Community before making his way to Tucson. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, DFL-Minn., the country's highest-ranking Native woman in executive office, said the Harris-Walz campaign knows the importance of Arizona's 11 electoral votes but also how decisive the Native vote can be.

"In 2020, we watched it come down to Arizona," Flanagan recounted. "I know how powerful the Native vote was in that election and I anticipate that the Native vote will turn up and turn out yet again."

Indigenous people account for about 6% of Arizona's population While Native voters have typically leaned Democratic, Republicans are also aiming to engage them.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, the GOP's vice presidential nominee, will hold a rally in Tucson today and early voters will begin casting their ballots in what's sizing up to be an extremely tight race.

Voters in precincts on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northeastern Arizona cast about 60,000 ballots in 2020, compared to about 45,000 in 2016, according to The Associated Press. Flanagan called it "significant" and said she is encouraging all Arizonans to vote early.

"It's really powerful," Flanagan emphasized. "Turn up, you vote early and then, you can spend the rest of your time knocking on doors, calling people and having conversations with your friends and relatives about the power of their vote, especially in Arizona."

Vice President Kamala Harris is set to return to Arizona for the second time in two weeks, to speak at a campaign rally in Phoenix Thursday evening. Former President Donald Trump will also make his way back to the Grand Canyon State on Sunday for a rally in Prescott.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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A coalition of voting rights advocates in Nevada is voicing its opposition to Question 7 on this year's ballot, which would require Nevadans to present a government-issued photo ID before voting in person.

If passed, it would also require voters using mail-in ballots to list the last four digits of their driver's license or Social Security number, or a county clerk registered number. Supporters said it will help restore Nevadans' faith in the electoral process.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, countered elections are already safe, secure and fair, and thinks Question 7 is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

"Stringent voter ID requirements nationwide have created a greater risk of voter suppression than they have of potentially addressing voter fraud, which is nonexistent," Haseebullah contended.

The Brennan Center for Justice found most reported incidents of voter fraud are "traceable to other sources, such as clerical errors." Proponents argued it is about ensuring only eligible individuals vote. If it passes in November, Question 7 would be placed on the 2026 General Election ballot for a final vote.

Kerry Durmick, Nevada state director for the group All Voting is Local Action, pointed out Nevada already has an efficient election system and there are already ID requirements in the voter registration process. Durmick called Question 7 a "modern-day poll tax."

"Obtaining an ID can actually cost a voter up to $100, through child care costs, transportation costs and ID costs," Durmick outlined. "The state would have to spend millions of dollars to avoid a modern-day poll tax."

In 2022, neighboring Arizona rejected a ballot measure, which would have required voters to include information like birth date and voter identification numbers when voting by mail. Critics of the proposal said it would have limited the ability of those who do not have a state, tribal or federal government-issued ID to present documents, like utility bills, to vote.

As the November elections approach, students at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington are taking action to remove voting barriers and boost turnout.

Their focus is on voter education and addressing key issues affecting students.

Jake Smith, president of the school's College Democrats, said one of the biggest challenges is helping students understand where and how to vote.

"You move around a lot as a college student," Smith observed. "You have several different addresses just in four years. A lot of people don't know that they can register on their college campus. They think that if they're registered in one part of the state that they can vote in any other part of the state, which is not true."

To address this, he pointed out they have been helping students register with their dorm address so they can have a stake in both the presidential and local elections. Since the start of the semester, the group has been actively registering students on campus, providing information on the registration process, voter ID requirements and polling locations.

Smith noted beyond logistics, key issues such as reproductive rights, climate change and affordability are driving students to the polls. He also voiced concerns about Project 2025, calling it a Republican agenda that could reverse progress on other issues that matter to young people.

"Project 2025 wants to take away free weather forecasting," Smith stressed. "I mean, for God's sake, if you're looking at a state like North Carolina that is so impacted by climate change and natural disasters, having something like that and not being able to even prepare for what might be coming is just completely catastrophic."

With the election less than 30 days away, Smith added the group is intensifying its efforts, not just registering voters but also informing them about what is on the ballot. Their goal is to ensure students understand how they can make an impact on both the national and local level.