AZ Political Podcast: Adrian Fontes on election security, voter rolls and 2026 elections

This week marks exactly one year until the 2026 General Election — when Arizonans will choose who they want to serve in the state’s top five government offices. It’s also a pivotal midterm that could determine whether President Trump gains or loses support in the House of Representatives.

So, what better time to check in with the man whose office oversees Arizona’s elections: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.

While Fontes doesn’t directly run elections (that’s up to Arizona’s counties), his office is responsible for overseeing the process and compiling the results.

He shares an update on how secure he believes our election systems are — and where vulnerabilities might still exist.

ICYMI: Earlier this year, cybercriminals — likely backed by Iran — hacked the Secretary of State’s candidate portal, swapping out candidate photos (including Fontes’) with an image of the Ayatollah.

Adrian Fontes joins AZ Political Podcast to provide expert analysis

We also dive into the status of Arizona’s voter rolls, including those who haven’t yet proven their citizenship — a legal requirement to register — and whether thousands of Republicans and Democrats could be “in-registered.”

And finally, Fontes swaps his Secretary of State hat for his Democratic derby to weigh in on whether this week’s election results signal wins or losses for his party in 2026.

Bonus: He answers the age-old question — does being second-in-command in state government make your kids more likely to clean their rooms?

The AZ Political Podcast is available at KTAR.com, the KTAR News app and everywhere you get your podcasts.

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