Chris Deschene for Arizona Secretary of State

Issues

The Secretary of State - Arizona’s second highest elected office – has a broad range of responsibilities. Best known as acting as the state’s Chief Elections Officer, the Secretary of State is also responsible for the Archives and Public Record, as well as being the administrator of the Uniform Commercial Code, the commissioner of Arizona’s Notaries Public, and the keeper of the Great Seal of Arizona.

The main role of the Secretary of State, as specified in the state Constitution and through various state statutes, is to serve as the state’s Chief Elections Officer. Therefore, it is the job of the Secretary of State to certify election results, handle all campaign finance materials, and protect the rights of all voters to participate in fair and unbiased elections.

The integrity and fairness of Arizona’s election process is of critical importance to our state, and the Secretary of State is served with making sure that elections run smoothly and are handled with transparency and accountability. As Arizona’s next Secretary of State, Chris Deschene will make the following goals his top priorities:

Respect and protect every qualified voter’s rights. As Secretary of State, Chris believes the number one priority is to protect the rights of every registered voter in Arizona. When a voter goes to the polls, votes by mail, or updates their voter registration, they should have the confidence in the Secretary of State’s office that the process is as simple and transparent as possible.

One important issue that Chris has been at the forefront of is election security. He recently sponsored a bill, HB 2729, that passed the Arizona House and Senate unanimously and then was signed into law by the Governor. His bill states that at least one member of the three-member committee established to test and investigate electronic voting machines must have at least five years of experience. This law is a crucial step forward in ensuring that the votes that are being cast are done so with the utmost confidence that they are truly being counted.

Another issue of importance concerns the ease of which voters can register, sign-up for the permanent early voting list, and change their voting addresses if they move. Arizona is one of the few states in the country that allows online voter registration, and it is Chris’s belief that technology, including the internet, provides additional opportunities to allow more Arizona voters to participate in the voting process.

Remove existing election policies that discriminate against rural voters. Chris saw firsthand how the current system failed to protect voter’s rights in his own district in northern Arizona. During his campaign for the state legislature in 2008, rural voters were being prevented from participating in nominating their own candidates because of discrepancies and lack of clarity in existing election laws. Then-Secretary of State Jan Brewer did nothing to remedy the situation, so Chris went to court to fight for their rights. He won the battle, and he will work just as hard to protect rural voters as Secretary of State to make sure that voters have their voices heard, both at the ballot box and by their government.

Chris has already been at the forefront in remedying Arizona laws to correct what has been known as the “PO Box issue,” which disenfranchises rural voters who have a PO Box as their mailing address. Existing law stated that it was up to county recorders whether a signature from a PO Box address was valid. With the high number of rural Arizonans that have PO Box addresses, this discrepancy prevented tens of thousands of Arizona voters from fully participating in the election process.

During this past legislative session, Chris, along with Senator Albert Hale (LD-2) passed SB1422 that was signed into law by the Governor that protects as a matter of law rural voters and those with PO Box addresses from being disenfranchised.

Institute a top to bottom review of our election system. Other states, like California, have recently instituted a top-to-bottom review of their election systems in an effort to streamline operations, cut costs, and make elections more transparent. Chris believes Arizona should do the same, and one of his first actions in office will be to order a review of all election processes completed through the Secretary of State’s office.

As it stands today, our election system is overly complex. With Arizona’s fifteen counties, we currently have 15 different processes and ways of doing business. By streamlining the process, cutting inefficiencies, and instituting a consistent framework of operations, our election process will be more transparent and accountable to Arizona voters.

Guaranteeing objectivity as Arizona’s Chief Elections Officer. All too often, Secretaries of State around the country, including right here in Arizona, regularly pick favorites and endorse candidates even while they are supposed to be guaranteeing objectivity and fair play. This creates a perceived conflict of interest, especially when the candidate that the Secretary of State has endorsed is undergoing a recount or some other elections issue.

Since day one of this campaign, Chris has pledged to never endorse any candidate while serving as Secretary of State. Ever. To ensure that the Secretary of State’s office is non-partisan and treats ALL candidates with the respect and courtesy they require, Chris will not pick sides or endorse any candidates. This includes everything from Governor all the way down to local school board races.

Since Chris made his pledge, the incumbent Secretary of State, Republican Ken Bennett, has made the same commitment. To this date, Chris and Ken Bennett are the only two candidates running for Secretary of State this fall to make the pledge.

Bringing legal and technical experience to the office of Secretary of State. Per the Arizona State Constitution and various state statutes, the office of Secretary of State is relatively limited in its duties. In addition to the duties outlined above, the Secretary of State is also responsible for keeping the state’s public record, administering oversight of trademarks, registration of limited partnerships, and official legislative filings.

These duties may not make a lot of headlines, but it’s important to have a Secretary of State that has a clear understanding of the laws and regulations of Arizona, and the ability to simultaneously manage multiple departments within the office.

Chris’s background shows that he is clearly capable of stepping in and assuming the duties of the Secretary of State’s office. As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, he served as a Special Forces reconnaissance officer in the United States Marine Corps. After serving his country with the Marine Corps and leaving with the rank of Major, he simultaneously earned a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a law degree from Arizona State University. Through this experience and his time in the Arizona legislature, Chris brings a unique set of skills to the Secretary of State’s office.

By any measure, Chris is a proven leader ready to stand up for all of Arizona.

Be ready to serve as the state’s second highest elected official. Because Arizona does not have a Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State serves as Acting Governor anytime the Governor is out of the state and is the first in line to assume the Governorship should he/she leave office for any reason.

As a member of the Republican-controlled Legislature, Chris has had a front row seat to witness some of the most devastating economic decisions in Arizona’s history. Every day, we see a failure to lead at virtually every level of our government, and it is time for a change.

Arizona deserves a proven leader who will make the hard decisions and fight for the citizens of Arizona. As a 10-year veteran officer of the United States Marines Corps, Chris has shown that he has the courage and the vision to be the kind of leader Arizona needs.

With the recent string of Secretaries of State ascending to the Governorship, it is more important than ever that Arizona elect a proven leader with the legislative, legal and common sense experience to the office of Secretary of State.