Arizona Secretary of State candidates Alex Kolodin (R) and Gina Swoboda (R) joined Ted Simons as a part of “Candidates in Conversation” to discuss major issues related their elections. The Secretary of State office focuses on election administration, business services and public record-keeping.
Both the candidates shared what they believe voters are looking for in a Secretary of State in Arizona.
“I think they want a competent administrator who provides transparency, reliability and experience,” Swoboda said.
“What the voters are looking for is first and foremost, someone who knows how to follow the law. They’re looking for more transparency and openness in their elections,” Kolodin said.
Looking at some of the past elections, the candidates commented on how it has affected the current state of elections here in Arizona.
“I think voters in this primary and across the state have serious concerns with the way that our elections are administered,” Kolodin.
He also criticized Adrian Fontes, the current Secretary of State, and Fontes’ elections procedures manuals.
Swoboda reflected on the handling of the 2020 election, adding that the Republican party was “outgunned legally”. She also shared what has been done since.
“We’ve changed the statutes where we would. We have gone to court and reined in what Secretary Hobbs and Secretary Fontes did in the manual that had gaps and we had a successful election for the Republican party,” Swoboda said.
The currently proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act, looks to require people to provide proof of U.S citizenship when registering to vote.
Kolodin thinks that Arizona should be using the SAVE Act database. Adding that he believes “that is something local elections officials want to do”.
Swoboda says she supports the SAVE Act and providing proof of citizenship. However she added, “I do not want the federal government to usurp the authority that the constitution delegates to the states”.
As for mail-in voting and the president’s executive order looking to restrict it, Swoboda noted that Arizona does mail-in voting “well”. She also went on to say that a lot of the provisions that are exemplified in the executive order are currently being used in the state, such as the barcode and ballot tracking.
Both candidates commented on proposed legislation that they are working on in regards to mail-in voting and how to best balance speed and convenience.
They both added that the Arizona voters are of utmost importance when it comes to drafting up ways to improve elections in the state.
