Secretary of State Adrian Fontes believes that investing in the infrastructure of Arizona elections, although expensive, would be a worthwhile endeavor.
During an interview on Friday with KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show, Fontes expressed the urgent need to update certain systems.
He added that there is a lot that requires improvement. Technical problems often plague elections in Arizona.
Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes highlighted the technology system’s vulnerabilities exposed by the requirements of providing documented proof of citizenship and voter registration. He emphasized the need to address these infrastructure weaknesses.
Fontes believes that the Arizona Voter Information Database (AVID) is in need of a major overhaul as his first proposed solution for improving elections in Arizona.
He has expressed his concerns about Arizona’s election night reporting tool, which relies on a coding system developed in-house. What worries him is that the system’s functionality rests solely on the expertise of a single programmer, who happens to be 70 years old. The cost of rectifying this problem is estimated to be $4 million.
“We have made the mistake of prioritizing small savings over significant investments in our most crucial systems,” Fontes expressed. “We have repeatedly requested the necessary funding for these projects, but unfortunately, we have not received the support we require in recent cycles.”
Investing in election infrastructure is essential for those who are concerned about election integrity, he emphasized.
During the recent election night, we witnessed the exposure of significant infrastructure weaknesses.
According to Fontes, the IT infrastructure at the executive tower was so unreliable that they had to relocate to a different facility for the election night. This new facility provided them with more dependable systems to ensure smooth operations.
According to him, addressing the election infrastructure in Arizona would be beneficial in eliminating such delays.
Fontes expressed hope that the legislature and budgeting offices would recognize the diligent efforts being made and provide the necessary funding to benefit the people of Arizona.