Secretary of State Hobbs calls Trump’s mail-in voting claims ‘baseless’

PHOENIX — Arizona’s top elections official pushed back against President Donald Trump’s claims that mail-in voting can’t be trusted and will lead to widespread voter fraud.

“We all know that the president’s claims on this issue are baseless and not supported by the facts,” Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

For months, Trump has casted doubt on voting by mail. He did so again during Tuesday night’s first presidential debate, saying the November election “is going to be a fraud like you’ve never seen.”

This comes even after the FBI director recently testified to Congress that there’s no evidence that mail-in ballots have contributed to voter fraud.

Hobbs said that contrary to the president’s claims, she wants voters to know “how secure and accurate and reliable our vote by mail system is here in Arizona.”

She said voters need to request a mail-in ballot in order to get one. Those ballots come in an envelope with a barcode that allows voters to verify that their ballot was received, signature verified and counted.

She added verifying signatures on mail-in ballots is a rigorous process that’s done by trained staff.

“Folks in our counties have been doing this for years, and there is no basis to any claims that the process will not be secure,” Hobbs said.

Arizona voters have had the option to vote by mail since 1996. Over the years, it has gained popularity. In the 2018 midterm election, 78% of Arizona voters cast mail-in ballots. That jumped to 88% in the August primary election.

“We anticipate it remaining around that level, close to 90% for the general election in November,” Hobbs said.

Ballots will be mailed out Oct. 7. Voters are recommended to mail them back by Oct. 27 to ensure they arrive by Election Day. They can also drop them off at any polling place before or on Election Day.