PHOENIX, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Democratic legislative leaders yesterday introduced the "Voters First Act," a sweeping package intended to modernize election infrastructure, standardize procedures across all 15 counties and expand voter access. The proposal is sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan (LD18) and Rep. Oscar De Los Santos (LD11) and it bundles changes from statewide vote centers to new cybersecurity funding and early ballot tracking.
Related: Click here to watch AZ Secretary of State Adrian Fontes introduce the Voters First Act on youtube.
The bill’s authors say access and security are complementary goals that require investment. “The Voters First Act is a research-backed, commonsense proposal to modernize, standardize, and prioritize the voting process across all 15 counties in Arizona,” Fontes said at the bill rollout. The measure lays out 10 key reforms focused on reducing lines and ensuring legal ballots are counted, strengthening election security and infrastructure, improving voter communication and transparency, and creating avenues for additional election funding.
Attorney General Kris Mayes publicly backed the measure in the secretary of state’s release, saying, “The Voters First Act recognizes that strong election security and meaningful voter access go hand in hand. By investing in modern election infrastructure, cybersecurity, and clear voter communication, this legislation helps ensure Arizona's elections remain secure, transparent, and worthy of the public's trust.”
What this could mean for Tucson voters
- Vote centers statewide: If enacted, the bill would authorize vote centers across the state. For Tucson residents (Pima County), that would likely mean the ability to vote at any county vote center instead of a single assigned precinct on Election Day — reducing travel time and long lines for many voters.
- Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL) restored: Restoring PEVL would automatically send early ballots to voters who opt in, making it easier for regular early voters in Tucson to get and return ballots without re-requesting them each cycle.
- Extended early voting and processing: The bill would extend early voting through 5 p.m. on the Monday before an election and allow counties to collect and process ballots continuously on Election Day. Tucson voters who work weekdays could benefit from the later early-vote deadline, and continuous processing can shorten the time it takes to report results.
- Counting ballots returned to the wrong county and curing notices: The plan would direct that early ballots accidentally delivered or returned to the wrong county be counted, a safeguard that could save some Tucson votes that might otherwise be rejected. Automated early-ballot tracking and curing notifications via text/email — funded by the bill — would give Tucson voters real-time updates and opportunities to fix signature or identification problems before a ballot is rejected.
- Cybersecurity and IT funding: The measure calls for a dedicated election IT and cybersecurity line item in the Secretary of State’s budget of no less than $1 million. The infusion is aimed at shoring up election systems statewide; Pima County election officials in Tucson could use such funding for system upgrades, staff training and defensive measures against cyber threats.
- Other protections: The bill would modernize the 75-foot voter-protection zone around drop boxes and polling places and mandate participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) with funding — both steps intended to reduce intimidation and improve voter-roll accuracy in Tucson and elsewhere.
Supporters and local impact Supporters framed the bill as standardizing practices already used successfully in some counties and restoring policies popular across party lines. Local voting-rights groups quoted in the release said the package offers a corrective to recent legislative efforts that restricted voting options. Advocates argue the combination of access improvements and targeted security investment will especially help voters in urban, suburban and rural pockets alike — including working people and voters who face transportation or resource barriers in and around Tucson.
What’s next
The Voters First Act has been formally introduced into the Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session and will need to clear the legislative process before becoming law. Backers say the measure is designed to be bipartisan in appeal by combining access safeguards with concrete security spending; whether it will overcome political opposition in the legislature remains to be seen.
For Tucson voters, the proposals in the bill, if passed, promise more convenience, clearer ballot-status communications and new resources for local election administration, changes proponents say will both expand participation and strengthen public confidence.
