A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled on May 1 in favor of Pinal County, stopping Secretary of State Adrian Fontes from requiring the county to switch from its precinct-based voting model to a vote center approach.
The decision matters because it affirms local control over election procedures and clarifies that state officials cannot override county authority without following legal processes. The ruling impacts how voters in Pinal County will cast their ballots and reinforces the role of the Board of Supervisors in making decisions about election methods.
According to the court, a provision in the 2025 Elections Procedures Manual would have allowed voters in precinct-based counties to vote provisionally at any precinct using accessible voting devices. Judge Scott Blaney found this violated two state statutes: one that restricts counties from using vote centers without a specific resolution by the Board of Supervisors, and another that prevents counting provisional ballots cast outside a voter’s assigned precinct. Judge Blaney also said that even if the provision were valid, it would not apply to Pinal County since its accessible voting devices are not programmed for every ballot type.
Jeffrey McClure, Chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors, said, “This is a matter of principle. Pinal County has always utilized the precinct-based voting model, and our voters tell us they want to keep it that way, primarily for reasons of security and control. State statutes are very clear – it’s only the Board of Supervisors that has the authority to move to a voting center model, which is effectively what this provision was – so we thank Judge Blaney for upholding the law, and not allowing the Secretary of State to overreach his authority.”
Dana Lewis, Pinal County Recorder and officer in charge of elections, said, “The Maricopa County Superior Court made it clear, the Constitution and state law cannot be overridden by an elected Secretary of State attempting to usurp the authority of locally elected Boards of Supervisors in determining how elections will be managed. The Court found what we have contended, that the Elections Procedures Manual overstepped its bounds. The decision reaffirmed that remaining a precinct-based system is a local county decision, and that it is not within the Secretary’s authority to create de facto voting centers.” Lewis continued: “Voters, through their locally elected leaders, retain the right to make these decisions. That right is not erased by administrative overreach, no matter how ambitious the effort.”
While issues surrounding election administration remain prominent for county officials and residents alike,0ther challenges continue within education outcomes as well.a href=’According”>https://www.azed.gov/’>According to data from Arizona Department of Education, 76.3% percent0f students grades three through eight failed mathematics on AASA tests during 2022-23; meanwhile0ver four out five high schoolers did not pass math on ACT assessments. In English language arts, nearly seventy percent grades three through eight failed AASA English section,nd seventy-three percent high schoolers did not pass ACT English section. Recent figures show seventeen percent high schoolers passed math ACT section for 2023-24; twenty-three percent third-to-eighth graders passed math AASA during same period.
