Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is rejecting a warning from the U.S. Department of Justice that suggested election officials could face criminal prosecution if noncitizens remain registered to vote.
In a statement released Tuesday, Fontes said Arizona already has some of the nation's strongest voter registration laws and that county recorders and the Secretary of State's Office routinely verify voter eligibility using state and federal databases authorized by law.
The response comes after Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office warning that election officials responsible for voter registration could face criminal prosecution if noncitizens are registered to vote in their jurisdictions.
Fontes called the DOJ's assertions "insulting," saying Arizona's county election officials work every day to maintain accurate voter rolls and ensure elections are conducted lawfully.
"It is insulting to insinuate that the good people at our county recorders' offices across the state are not doing their jobs correctly," Fontes said. "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."
According to the Secretary of State's Office, Arizona election officials use established legal processes to maintain voter rolls, remove ineligible registrations, and verify citizenship information where permitted by law.
The office also highlighted efforts made during Fontes' tenure, including securing more than $2 million in additional funding to help counties administer voter registration and continuing to work with county recorders while using available state and federal data sources to improve voter registration accuracy.
Fontes said the DOJ letter does not alter Arizona law or the legal responsibilities of state and county election officials, adding that his office remains committed to administering elections that are secure, accurate, transparent, and worthy of voters' confidence.
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