State Representative John Gillette (R-30) condemned Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes' recent directive for the tabulation of Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) ballots.
Last week, Fontes launched a new UOCAVA system with a group called Enhanced Voting, which allows overseas voters to complete the entire voting process from a personal device, including signing their ballot affidavit, but still allows for printing and mailing of physical ballots.
Despite Fontes saying that the new system has been rigorously tested, State Rep. Gillette challenged it, arguing that the new system breaks chain-of-custody procedures, strips counties of direct oversight, and effectively creates a backdoor means of allowing non-residents and illegal aliens to vote in Arizona elections.
"UOCAVA exists to ensure that our deployed service members, their families, and Arizona residents living overseas can securely exercise their right to vote," said the Mojave County Representative, adding, "It does not give voting rights to foreign nationals, illegal immigrants, or U.S. citizens with no prior Arizona residency. This directive is a reckless expansion of voting access beyond what the law allows."
Gillette further suggested that Fontes' new directive is the exact sort of system that Arizona Democrats have attempted to implement via legislation, saying, "The Secretary of State is attempting to change election law without the consent of the people's representatives, and in the process, he's jeopardizing the integrity of our elections."
As a result, he called for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to investigate the new system, while the Election Commission holds UOCAVA funds until compliance is assured.
"Our elections must protect lawful voters—especially our men and women serving overseas," Gillette concluded, "They deserve a voting system that is secure, transparent, and faithful to the law, not one manipulated for partisan gain."
The Mojave County Representative's demands come on the heels of a Congressional bill introduced by Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), which tightens the rules surrounding overseas voting.
