Adrian Fontes, the Democratic candidate for Arizona Secretary of State, answered student questions during a roundtable on Friday and spoke about the importance of the Secretary of State office, his priorities if elected and the danger his opponent posed to the institution of democracy.
Fontes focused the roundtable on the threat his opponent, Mark Finchem, posed to democracy in Arizona.
"We can't imagine the idea of our government falling," he said. "And that's what's at risk. Imagine, if you will, not having a government that is run with the consent of the people."
Fontes stressed that the importance of this race lies not in what Finchem can do, but rather in what he won’t do.
"The law states that only certified elections officials can do certain duties," he said. "The Secretary is the one that trains them. So what if he just decides not to have any of those certifications happening? What if he decides himself not to certify an election if he doesn't like the outcome?”
Fontes was also confronted with questions regarding his commitment to fighting back against conspiracy theories propagated by former President Donald Trump. Though over 90% of voters in Arizona use absentee ballot voting systems, the Arizona Republican Party has questioned the integrity of these methods and asked the Arizona Supreme Court to rule them unconstitutional.
Fontes got frustrated when asked by The State Press how he would prove to young voters that absentee ballots are secure.
"These are false allegations. These are conspiracy theories that they keep talking about," he said. "We can not be mealy-mouthed and wishy-washy and worried about the feelings of people who would destroy this republic."
As Secretary of State, Fontes would be responsible for encouraging voters to express their voices through the ballot during the election season. In 2020, voters aged 18-24 voted about 20% less than those aged 65-74. Fontes explained his plans to persuade young voters to exercise their voting rights.
“I didn’t grow up in a world where you had live shooter drills in your schools,” he said. “You did. I didn’t grow up in a world where I can literally imagine American cities underwater because of climate change. You did. I didn’t grow up in a world where I missed out on a year and a half or two, school and socialization and all this other stuff because of a global pandemic. You did.”
Fontes stressed that student leaders should use their shared experiences with other young voters to encourage them to participate in elections and take action on issues that they care about.
Fontes also encouraged amplifying the voices of Indigenous residents of Arizona.
"Those folks that are administering the election know their communities best," he said, speaking to how he would facilitate tribal communities’ access to the ballot. "And those communities know what they need best."
Since Fontes graduated from ASU in 1998, rates of youth electoral participation have risen. Those who attended the roundtable got to hear from Fontes about the current issues that are facing Arizonans.
"I’m not from Arizona … I wasn’t aware of all the stuff going on so it was very educational for me," said Aaniyah Dukes, a freshman studying early childhood education.
"I want to make a difference here," said Dukes. "The way he talked was so informative to young people … I think it would be a good change."
Ian Sherwood, a sophomore studying political science, was inspired by Fontes’ remarks.
"I thought it was really good conversation, very lively discussion," he said. "I was already in support and I am more in support now."
Fontes ended the discussion with a reminder of how serious the repercussions of this race might be.
"This is the inflection point that will determine whether or not we move forward," He said. "And those Oathkeepers of which (Finchem's) been a member since 2014, they call for civil war. He's been calling for people to stockpile weapons and ammunition. And my question to him is which Americans are you planning on killing first in this civil war Mr. Finchem?"
Editor's note: The headline and subhead of this story was updated on Oct. 18 at 9:30 p.m. to include the office Fontes and Finchem are running for as well as their party affiliation.
Edited by Reagan Priest, Wyatt Myskow and Kristen Apolline Castillo.
Reach the reporters at alysa.horton@gmail.com and rchatty@asu.edu and follow @alysa_horton and @rishabchatty on Twitter.
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Rishab is a Politics Reporter at the State Press and a junior studying Political Science. He is also an assistant director with the Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention and an assistant editor for the Realist Review.
