Preparing for the worst has become the leading strategy for Arizona election officials since 2020.
FILE - Maricopa County Elections Department officials feed test ballots into tabulating machines, Nov. 18, 2020, in Phoenix. Arizona's top election officials are taking an aggressive approach to combating disinformation and responding to threats against election workers in a state that has been an epicenter of both. Their efforts are ramping up in anticipation of another razor-thin presidential contest in a state where false voting claims have run rampant for the past four years.
In recent interviews and tours of their operations, they said they are hoping their efforts are enough to counter an onslaught they know is coming as the November general election draws closer.Fontes, a Marine Corps veteran, has brought his military mindset to the office since he started last year. He has deployed “tiger teams” to troubleshoot problems and hosted simulations to prepare workers for AI-generated disinformation.
“You’re monitoring it for threats? Sure. You need to ensure safety,” said 40-year-old Thomas Abia. But he said monitoring for falsehoods is a “gray area” that makes him concerned about privacy. He said that after seeing the hundreds of threats that disrupted the lives of election workers during the 2022 midterm elections, he believes those who spread misinformation are directly responsible.
Fontes and Richer hope to steer Arizonans back to disagreeing on the issues, rather than about trust in elections. Richer recently hosted his first “Ask Me Anything” live video session on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He frequently engages directly with voters, and his team has hosted more than 30 tours of the tabulation center in the past year, inviting anyone to sign up.Fontes and Richer say one of the toughest challenges of misinformation is the doubt created among large swaths of voters.
He has taken other steps to address public concerns, such as removing excess wiring around tabulators so observers can see there is no internet connection. His office posts 24-hour live feeds of the tabulation center, even when some activists have at times revealed personal information and spread misinformation about the workers shown on camera.
In the recent presidential primary, Richer noticed a conservative activist complaining on X about receiving two mailed ballots. He suspected she had changed addresses too close to the election, resulting in a second ballot delivered to her new home.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offensePreparing for the worst has become the leading strategy for Arizona election officials since 2020.
Read more »
Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offensePreparing for the worst has become the leading strategy for Arizona election officials since 2020
Read more »
Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offensePreparing for the worst has become the leading strategy for Arizona election officials since 2020.
Read more »
Dem Sen. Kelly: ‘Confident’ Biden Will Win Arizona with More Votes than 2020Source of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
Biden tells Latino voters in Arizona they’re the reason he defeated Trump in 2020President Biden spoke today at a restaurant in downtown Phoenix.
Read more »
Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offensePreparing for the worst has become the leading strategy for Arizona election officials since 2020. That's when the state’s razor-thin presidential race made Arizona a national epicenter for misinformation about voter fraud, machine problems and phony results.
Read more »