Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says voter ineligibility is a non-issue

PHOENIX — Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said he believes it’s a citizens-right to vote and that should not be up to the federal government to take it away.

“I’m kind of the guy that believes that your fundamental right as a citizen belongs to you,” Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mike Broomhead show on Friday. “It doesn’t belong to the government to take it away, it belongs to you.”

Fontes spoke on Friday in response to President Trump’s executive order that would see several changes to how the election would run, including the proof-of-citizenship requirement to vote.

A judge blocked the Trump administration on April 24 from enacting certain changes from the order, including an action to tighten mail ballot deadlines in the U.S.

Adrian Fontes says allegations of voter eligibility are unfound

Fontes said voter ineligibility is a non-issue and that those making allegations of ineligible voters voting are unfound. He adds proof is needed to demonstrated the actions of ineligible voters voting.

“You use the same burden that you would anywhere else. In America, the accuser has to bring proof, whether it’s in a criminal trial or civil trial, if you don’t have proof, then we know you’re full of it,” Fontes said.

“And in this circumstance, the folks who are making lots allegations of lots of ineligible voters voting, they don’t have any proof. It doesn’t exist because that’s what’s not happening.”

Fontes added that he tells other secretaries in the U.S. that voter verification is too high of a demand on verification for the system, such as verifying birth certificates or a passport.

“We don’t have the manpower for that, time or energy for that thing and there’s no support system for that,” Fontes said. “The demands are so high on a system that’s so poorly supported it just doesn’t make a ton of sense. We don’t have any proof that this is even really an issue.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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