Setting the Record Straight: Voter Safety and Misinformation Alert

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Press Release

PHOENIX – The Secretary of State encourages voters to rely only on trusted sources for accurate, election-related news. We want to reassure the public that the security and integrity of their vote are our top priorities. For concerns around long election lines, please see page 169 of the Election Procedures Manual which states that election officers must have contingency plans ready to implement if wait times consistently or significantly exceed 30 minutes. 

Recent allegations by Common Cause Arizona and Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) contain gross inaccuracies, released just days before the primary election, undermining the voter participation they claim to protect. Neither organization consulted our office regarding our security measures before issuing their statements, leading to widespread misinformation and voter anxiety.

Secretary Fontes advocates for early and mail-in voting to ensure voter safety during the heatwave, with security protocols designed to protect election integrity without causing delays. Claims of excessive security at the polls, including bomb-sniffing dogs and fencing, are not accurate and have never even been discussed. 

Cooling centers are practical measures to address heat-related concerns, including the provision of shade structures and hydration stations, and LUCHA and Common Cause Arizona can learn more about those resources in collaboration with local county and city officials.

We urge Common Cause Arizona and LUCHA to retract their irresponsibly misleading statements and collaborate with us to promote voter turnout and election integrity.

For more information, please contact our office directly.

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UPDATE

 

In our July 26, 2024 press release titled “Setting the Record Straight: Voter Safety and Misinformation Alert” we addressed misinformation released in a joint press release between Common Cause and LUCHA that went out in both English and Spanish. Since Friday, those both of those organizations have taken down their press release without correcting the record. Because we are a government agency that is required to keep public records, we can’t take down our release that sets the record straight. We are providing you with screen shots below of their release for context.

 

Thank you to all of the voters for your understanding.

https://www.commoncause.org/press-release/arizona-sec-of-state-must-address-long-lines-heat-before-tuesday-primary/

Common Cause

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Contact Us
Aaron Thacker
Communications Director

 

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