TUCSON — Pima County supervisors approved a resolution opposing federal involvement in elections in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting.
“This resolution is basically to declare the counties are, in fact, responsible for elections and that federal interference is...
TUCSON — Pima County supervisors approved a resolution opposing federal involvement in elections in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting.
“This resolution is basically to declare the counties are, in fact, responsible for elections and that federal interference is not only unwelcome but unlawful,” said Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz, a Democrat who put the item on the agenda. Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at creating a federal list of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote in each state. The March 31 order also directed the U.S. Postal Service only to send mail-in ballots to verified voters.
The order is the Republican president’s latest move to take federal control of elections ahead of the 2026 midterms in November. It has faced significant legal challenges, including a lawsuit filed by Democrats state Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes as part of a 23-state coalition fighting the move.
In Pima County, the resolution challenging the president's order passed on party lines at an April 7 meeting. Four Democrats supported it, and one Republican voted against it.
“The people who brought you the 'big lie' and Jan. 6 want you to believe they are the ones best poised to run elections. Here in Pima County, I think we will have none of that,” said Democratic Chair Jennifer Allen. Blue Pima County, where all but one of the five supervisors are Democrats, is one of the few governing bodies in Arizona that would pass such a resolution.
The document they passed stated that Pima County conducts secure elections under state law and defended vote-by-mail as a “lawful, longstanding, and widely used method” in Arizona. The resolution also warned that using incomplete or mismatched federal databases could disenfranchise eligible voters, including people with limited mobility, those who lack reliable transportation, naturalized citizens, tribal citizens, military voters and others.
“The Pima County Board of Supervisors opposes any federal executive action that unlawfully interferes with Pima County’s election administration or restricts lawful access to vote-by-mail,” the resolution said. The federal screening laid out in Trump's executive order includes at least some features already present in Arizona's vote-by-mail system. For years, the state has required documented proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Arizona also already uses a unique bar code to ensure ballots involve only voters who are properly registered. The Pima County resolution came as partisan fighting over elections ramped up on April 7. Republican state Senate President Warren Petersen publicly accused Mayes and Fontes of having a “phobia of fair and secure elections" that is "impossible to explain absent nefarious motives” in a letter to federal officials.
Petersen, who is running against Mayes, recently complied with an FBI subpoena for 2020 election records, as the Trump administration seeks to review his loss to former President Joe Biden. Trump and Petersen have for years promoted false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Petersen accused Mayes and Fontes of “obstruction of justice and witness tampering” in their communications with county election officials about the subpoena.
He referred them to the Justice Department, according to a letter he posted to social media. Pima County elections are handled as joint operations between the county supervisors and the county Recorder’s Office, which is in line with Arizona state law. Supervisors oversee the Pima County Elections Department.
“County supervisors in Arizona, regardless of party, know elections in this state are conducted accurately, fairly, safely and securely despite the assertions by the president of the United States,” Democratic Supervisor Rex Scott said during a discussion of the resolution. The sole Republican on the Pima County board, Steve Christy, voted against the resolution. He attended the meeting by video call and cast his vote with a thumbs-down gesture.
Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She also co-hosts “The Gaggle,” The Republic’s weekly politics podcast. Reach her via email at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com and on social media @stephanie_murr.
