Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes launched a collaborative football-themed campaign with Arizona universities to prepare voters for the November midterm election.
"Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona are partnering with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office on a nonpartisan voter education campaign featuring football players from all three universities," according to a press release from the secretary of state.
This campaign will feature social media posts and two football-themed public service announcements with the goal of providing Arizona voters with information about tracking their ballots, voting by mail and returning their ballots on time.
The BallotTrax system is at the forefront of the campaign, which allows voters to track their ballots and receive email or text updates on their ballot status.
Over the summer, Fontes ran a campaign during the FIFA World Cup 2026 as an advertising tactic to get residents to sign up for BallotTrax. For the fall, he wanted to use the momentum of college football season to push this new campaign featuring the universities.
"Seventy-three percent increase in signups for this (BallotTrax)," Fontes said. "Hugely successful, I mean statewide, massive success on this."
When working with his team to decide on a fall advertisement, they had the idea to collaborate and feature the state universities' football teams.
He called ASU President Michael Crow himself and explained the idea. Crow was on board.
"I was like, 'I want a stadium, a player or two and your uniforms,' and he was like, 'Sure' and I was shocked," Fontes said.
Then UA and NAU followed.
"Why not feature our own talent, our own resources in a place where Arizona’s voters and taxpayers can see and feel good about it, right?" Fontes said. "That to me is the important thing."
Fontes said the campaign has already been received very well. He said he wanted the campaign to be "really Arizona" and touch on personal and relatable notes like residents' alma maters or their favorite college football teams.
Fontes is a University alumnus and said his college buddies enjoyed the advertisement.
READ MORE: Adrian Fontes discussed his office position and how he got there at campus event
"It brings it home. It makes it personal, and it exposes information to a group of people who don't traditionally follow politics and might not know where to go for information," Fontes said.
Dafne Zamora, a senior studying political science and a member of the Keep Arizona Blue Student Coalition, said she was excited when she saw her school's football team in an ad on her social media.
"It's super interactive," Zamora said. "We always try to preach reaching students where they're at, and I think that ad perfectly showed that."
Jaid Miller, a senior studying marketing, said the ad informs people about the BallotTrax program and what it does.
"It is nice to be able to know that your ballot has been counted," Miller said in a written statement.
Fontes said the timing and seasons line up well.
"The energy of it, the timing of it being during college football season," Fontes said. "To me, it was really a phenomenal way to promote a program that really helps our democracy."
Edited by Andi Ruiz, Emilio Alvarado and Senna James.
Reach the reporter at isiedare@asu.edu.
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Imogen Siedare is a part-time reporter with The State Press. This is her first semester with The State Press. Imogen is a Junior studying Journalism and Political Science.
