This op-ed, penned by former Arizona State Rep. Daniel Hernandez, was originally published in the Arizona Daily Sun.
In a few weeks, early voting will begin for Arizona’s primary election. With many high-profile races on the ballot this cycle, some are unfortunately taking this opportunity to renew false claims about election fraud from the 2020 election.
To restore confidence in our elections and further tell the truth about Arizona’s well-run elections, the Democracy Defense Project recently joined the Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory at ASU and the Center for the Future of Arizona for a statewide tour to discuss how elections are run in the state. Election experts and community leaders traveled to Flagstaff to discuss longstanding election processes, solutions to election challenges and common-sense reforms.
The strength of our election system lies in its proximity to the people. For decades, Arizona has maintained a proven track record of secure, accurate, and transparent elections. We have successfully implemented mail voting since 1991 and voter ID requirements since 1996 — systems built, refined and trusted at the local level. Our counties are not only capable of administering elections, they are the very backbone of that success.
According to recent polling data from Center For the Future of Arizona and the Democracy Defense Project, 86% Arizona voters overwhelmingly support the state’s mail-in early voting systems. Although there is ongoing national and local rhetoric targeting early voting, this is not a reflection of the will of the voters. In addition, voters prioritize accuracy over speed regarding election results.
During our conversation in Flagstaff, panelists dispelled myths about hand-counting, explaining to the audience that attempting to hand-count millions of ballots inherently introduces massive human error compared to machine tabulation. Local experts also discussed the ongoing debate about voting centers versus precinct level voting, noting that the public widely supports voting centers since it provides more flexibility where a vote can be cast. Reverting to traditional precinct voting would severely hamper rural access and confuse many urban voters.
Protecting native American voting rights and access was top of mind during our conversation, revealing a deep web of systemic challenges, including nonwritten languages, the lack of standard physical addresses and missing birth certificates. Tribal voting logistics and access must continue to be top of mind as local leaders weigh and consider election reforms.
We are now entering our fourth election cycle where unfounded claims against our election system are still being pushed by those with an ulterior agenda. All allegations of fraud or cheating have been debunked numerous times, proving that Arizona elections are secure and administered exceptionally well by our local leaders.
Safe and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. We must continue to educate the public about the safeguards built into election systems and restore voter confidence.
Published: May 31, 2026
