Statement from Secretary Fontes Regarding U.S. Department of Justice Letter on Voter Registration
Today, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sent the Arizona Secretary of State's Office a letter threatening criminal prosecution of election officials responsible for voter registration if there are noncitizens registered to vote in their jurisdictions.
Arizona currently has some of the strongest voter registration laws in the nation. State law requires election officials to verify voter eligibility, including citizenship information, using multiple state and federal databases where authorized by law.
The suggestion that Arizona election officials are failing to do their jobs is simply not supported by the facts—county recorders and the Secretary of State’s Office work every day to maintain accurate voter rolls and remove ineligible registrations through established legal processes.
“It is insulting to insinuate that the good people at our county recorders' offices across the state are not doing their jobs correctly. These individuals, everyday Arizonans, who spend their time making sure that our elections are accurate and run smoothly. It is no exaggeration to say they are not only the backbone of Arizona's election system, but also of democracy. Arizona’s election officials take their oath to uphold the law seriously. Arizona election officials have always worked to ensure that only eligible citizens are registered to vote, and we will continue following Arizona law—not directions that come from political rhetoric or intimidation,” said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
In fact, no one has done more to keep Arizona’s voter rolls accurate and secure than Secretary Adrian Fontes. Over the last four years, the Secretary of State’s Office has consistently supported efforts to improve the accuracy of Arizona’s voter registration system while protecting the constitutional rights of eligible voters. That includes working collaboratively with Arizona’s county recorders, utilizing available state and federal data sources, and defending Arizona’s authority to administer its own elections consistent with state and federal law. During Fontes' term, the Secretary of State's Office has been successful in allocating more than $2 million in additional funds to assist counties with voter registration.
The DOJ’s letter does not change Arizona law or the legal responsibilities of state and county election officials.
Secretary Fontes remains committed to administering elections that are secure, accurate, transparent, and worthy of the confidence of every eligible Arizona voter.