Adrian Fontes says Arizona voter education will be key to combating misinformation

By Ben Giles
Published: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - 9:18am
Updated: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - 9:23am

A bipartisan group of former, current and newly elected secretaries of state, including Arizona’s Adrian Fontes, are celebrating their victories over election-denying Republican candidates across the country.

Fontes said Monday that voter education will be key to his administration’s efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation about elections.

"We need to, I think in Arizona, we're going to focus a lot more on voter awareness, helping the media understand better about the process itself, because the more you understand the process, the more confidence you have in it."

Adrian Fontes
Alonso Parra
Adrian Fontes

The Associated Press called the race in Arizona for Fontes over Republican Mark Finchem, whose campaign was based in large part on the lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

Finchem, losing GOP Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters and other Republicans complained Friday about the length of time it takes to count ballots in Arizona.

Fontes said that is how the system is designed.

“They wouldn't be complaining if they were winning,” Fontes said last week. “And so that says everything that needs to be said.”

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