Maricopa County Recorder candidates Adrian Fontes and Stephen Richer were scheduled to hold a debate Sunday afternoon, but things quickly derailed when the Republican nominee Stephen Richer failed to show.
The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix set the debate at 2 p.m. begin. But Pinny Sheoran, president of the group who advocates for voting rights and election protection, saw that Richer was not going to come. Sheoran said she decided to proceed with the event without him, and said the new plan would be more like a presentation instead of a having a debate format.
Richer, however said he did not miss the scheduled time on purpose.
“They didn’t tell me about it,” Richer said. “They didn’t provide the details or answers to any of my questions.” At the time he was going door-to-door for his campaign.
But Sheoran said he did get an “email from Mr. Richer saying he would like to participate.”
Despite the mix-up, the event carried on. Jan Manolis, president of the League of Women Voters of Central Yavapai County, was the moderator. Manolis and Sheoran ensured although only one candidate would be speaking, the organization was fully non-partisan.
Fontes, a Nogales native, ASU grad, and lawyer, presented for the afternoon. He was originally elected as Maricopa Recorder in 2016.
During the 2016 election, Fontes said 96,000 voter registration forms were found and “rejected for no good reason.” In effect, Fontes decided to run for office.
“I found it disappointing that some of my fellow citizens found it difficult to vote,” Fontes said.
While in office, Fontes “created a new voter check in system that has all but eliminated provisional balloting,” he said and that new voting centers were also created in 2018.
“It is easier to vote now in Maricopa county than it has ever been, and there is more access to the ballot than ever before,” Fontes said.
But Richer said he disagrees. In 2018, the August primary, Richer said there were “exceptionally long lines” and that many polling places did not open on time. Richer said this happened again in November.
“(Fontes) has violated the law time after time by not complying properly with public records requests,” Richer said.
Richer also said that the office is a combination of three things: law, politics and management – and said he excels at all three.
Richer’s goal is to have the “best customer service,” and make voting accessible and secure, and to build confidence in the voting process.
“If you call the recorder’s office, as many have reported to me, you wait for 25 minutes before anyone gets to you… Nobody likes being treated that way,” Richer said. He hopes to improve wait times for not just phone calls, but for wait times in real time. To fix this he says he needs to hire “better people.”
During his presentation, Fontes said “the office had closed itself off to the world,” and now, tries to go out to all communities in all districts about elections happening in the county to increase voter participation.
Fontes also discussed the upcoming presidential election in November, where voter security is a hot topic of debate. He said sees increasing election security as a “tall order,” as he thinks our elections are very secure already.
“(The postal service) is in hand and glove in operating with us,” Fontes said. “The Maricopa County Recorder’s office is in constant contact, and discusses voting by mail every year, Fontes said. In addition, he said that the postal service’s regular communication with the county should ensure the ballots are counted.
Richer, however, said the sole reason he is running is because he wants to take Fontes out of office.
“Adrien Fontes has been neither competent, fair, nor lawful,” Richer said.
To prove his point, Richer and his campaign have complied a 48-page paper titled “Failure: Adiran Fontes’ First Term as Recorder.” The report focuses and analyzes Fontes’ work and his time in office so for.
Richer, who has never held office before, said he is ready to learn and accept help from other recorders along the way.
Arizona will vote on the Maricopa County Recorder position Nov. 3, 2020.
Contact the reporter at edhortar@asu.edu
