PHOENIX — Arizona’s race for secretary of state turned sharply personal Wednesday as Democratic incumbent Adrian Fontes and Republican challenger Alexander Kolodin sparred over mail voting, Proposition 144, and who voters can trust to run elections five weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms.
In an hourlong Clean Elections debate at Sneaky Big Studios, Kolodin, a Scottsdale lawmaker, pointed to legislation he sponsored that lets voters with early ballots have them verified at a polling place on Election Day by presenting photo identification. The idea, he said, is to shrink the pile of “late early ballots” that otherwise sit aside for later signature checks and can delay results for days.
Kolodin is also the author of Proposition 144, which would require proof of identification before any ballot is counted — including mailed ballots that today are validated by comparing the envelope signature with signatures on file. How that ID rule would work for mail ballots is not spelled out in the measure. Fontes argued the proposition would “kill early voting,” a method used by more than 80% of Arizonans, and force people — including residents of assisted living and busy parents — to stand in line.
Kolodin shouted “liar” during that exchange, according to debate coverage, but did not detail a workable mail-ballot ID process. Fontes later clarified that a claim about Kolodin targeting mail voting came from Kolodin’s primary opponent, Gina Swoboda, not from Kolodin’s own public wording in the debate.
The candidates spent much of the hour attacking credibility. Fontes highlighted the Arizona Supreme Court’s 2023 decision placing Kolodin, an attorney, on 18 months of probation for his role in failed 2020 election challenges, including a “kraken” lawsuit that a federal judge said sought to disenfranchise millions with little reliable evidence. Asked whether he would accept a loss, Fontes said yes; Kolodin answered, “We will win with grace.”
Kolodin countered that Fontes overreached in the Elections Procedures Manual, citing a federal ruling that struck down a proposal to exclude a county’s votes from statewide totals if supervisors failed to certify on time — language a judge called a “nuclear-level burden on voting rights.” Fontes said the provision was meant to prod compliance and was unlikely to be used. He also lost a separate fight over broad speech restrictions near polling places.
Both men returned briefly to Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap’s referrals of suspected noncitizen voters. County Attorney Rachel Mitchell’s office has confirmed only eight of 60 reviewed cases as noncitizens who voted illegally — all in the country legally — with no charges filed. Fontes called inflated illegal-voter claims a lie; Kolodin said even one unlawful vote dilutes lawful ballots and that a limited sample suggests more cases may exist.
On election-night speed, Kolodin pledged results “on election night.” Fontes called that unrealistic in a closely divided state and said media race calls are not the same as certified tallies. With early voting underway and Prop. 144 on the ballot, the SOS contest is shaping into a referendum on how Arizona verifies ballots — and how much friction voters will accept in the name of speed and security.