Grand Canyon Times

^{PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes recently appeared on Arizona Horizon PBS to discuss his budget priorities for the office. Secretary Fontes highlighted the critical need for funding to uplift Arizona's election workforce and strengthen physical and cyber security.}

As Secretary of State, Fontes recognizes that ensuring the integrity of Arizona's elections is paramount. To achieve this, he highlighted the need for a robust critical election workforce in the form of dedicated Secretary of State staff tasked with supporting counties in conducting smooth and fair elections. With the Presidential Preference Election only nine months away, these budget requests include hiring and training staff, procuring necessary equipment and supplies, and conducting public education and outreach.

In addition to a well-supported election workforce, Secretary Fontes emphasized the importance of investing in physical and cyber security measures to safeguard Arizona's election infrastructure and personnel. The Secretary has regularly noted that elections infrastructure is critical infrastructure, and it is essential to protect it from outside interference and other threats.

To accomplish his goals, Secretary Fontes has proposed a budget that includes $2.7 million in ongoing state funds, $1.5 million in one-time state funds, and $3.0 million allocated from the federal Help America Votes Act (HAVA) grant monies. With the suggested budget, Secretary Fontes also intends to enact business service enhancements to improve Arizona's business connections. This includes streamlining processes, improving customer service, and providing better access to information for businesses operating in Arizona. Approved allocation of these funds will allow the Secretary of State's office to continue its vital work in upholding Arizona's election integrity and supporting the state's business community.

"The budget we are asking for speaks to [...] all the things we are hoping to accomplish," said Secretary Fontes, "We are on the ground with the best elections administration team that the Secretary of State's office has ever seen [...] We need to fully fund these things at the state level and not just push the cost down to the counties," he added.

The Secretary's appearance on Arizona Horizon PBS provided an opportunity to highlight the importance of investing in these key areas. With this funding, the Secretary of State's office can continue to support Arizona's election workforce, protect election infrastructure, and improve business services for the benefit of all Arizonans.

For more information on Secretary Fontes' budget priorities, visit: azsos.gov/budget. Click ^{here for a clip of his appearance on Arizona Horizon PBS.}

^{Original source can be found here.}