Pima County supervisors passed a resolution Tuesday opposing federal involvement in local elections, following an executive order President Donald Trump signed last month that looks to impose federal control over how states administer elections.
Supervisor Matt Heinz, who brought the resolution to Tuesday's meeting, said his request was in response to an executive order signed last week to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and to restrict mail-in voting, according to the Associated Press. The resolution passed 4-1, with Supervisor Steve Christy, the lone Republican on the board, voting no.
The board "opposes any federal executive action that unlawfully interferes with Pima County’s election administration or restricts lawful access to vote-by-mail," the resolution says. It "affirms that Arizona elections must be administered in accordance with the United States Constitution, the Arizona Constitution, relevant federal laws and the Arizona Revised Statutes, not by unilateral presidential decree."
Heinz
Supervisor Jen Allen, the board's chair, said despite the challenges they face, she is "incredibly proud" of the work done by Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, the county recorder, and Constance Hargrove, director of the county's elections department. "Elections in Pima County have proven, repeatedly, to be safe, effective, accessible to eligible voters," Allen said.
"They do all of that against a backdrop of more than half a decade of disinformation campaign that has been led by President Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and to sow distrust in our electoral system," Allen said. "The bottom-line is that, the people who brought you the 'Big Lie' and January 6th, want us to believe that they are the ones best poised to run elections, and here in Pima County we will have none of that."
Supervisor Rex Scott said, despite political affiliation, county officials across Arizona "know that elections in this state are conducted accurately, fairly, safely and securely," despite claims by Trump and his allies.
"I have had the privilege of representing Pima County on the legislative policy committee for the County Supervisor Association since 2021. There have been several instances in those six years where members of the legislature have introduced legislation that calls into question the fact that counties conduct elections in Arizona accurately, fairly, safely, securely," Scott said. "The majority of the members of the (committee) are Republicans, but every time those measures have come before us, we have recommended unanimously that they be opposed."
The same day Trump signed the executive order, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and top election officials in Oregon pledged to sue.
On Friday last week, Attorney General Kris Mayes' office announced that Arizona "joined a coalition of 23 other states" in a federal lawsuit challenging Trump's order.
