An Open Letter of Thanks to Voters and Election Officials on the Successful Implementation of the 2020 Elections

The 2020 election cycle, culminating during the COVID-19 pandemic and a presidential election, will be remembered for years to come. Nearly 80 percent of Arizona’s eligible voters securely and safely cast their ballots in the 2020 General Election. Voter participation was the highest in some 40 years. The election has earned a place in the history books, for this, and for many other reasons. As the Clean Elections Act strives to promote participation in the political process, the Clean Elections Commission appreciates the tremendous engagement by Arizonans.

This election is also a credit to election officials across Arizona. These public servants, a bipartisan group of state and county officers, share a dedication to democracy. While our state is graced by some of the most effective election officials in the nation, 2020 presented at set of unimaginable circumstances they skillfully overcame to provide voters uninterrupted access to the ballot box.

This success was not built overnight. Instead, it was the result of meticulous planning by election officials that began more than a year ago, and a foundation of election security and integrity built over three and a half decades. After the 2016 election, election officials worked to strengthen security measures to protect your vote against foreign interference. As the threat landscape evolved to concerns about election misinformation, COVID-19 emerged to newly challenge election officials. Conducting an election during a national public health emergency was a first, yet Arizona’s 15 county recorders and election departments managed to efficiently and securely process the 3,420,565 ballots cast by voters in the Nov. 3 General Election.

Equally deserving of our gratitude are all the poll workers across the state who stepped up to perform their civic duty during a public health crisis. Not only did they help voters in person on Election Day, during early voting and election boards, they were also the front-lines for following the Centers for Disease Control recommendations to reduce voters’ exposure to COVID-19 at polling locations.

As members of the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, established by Arizonans to restore citizen participation and confidence in our state’s political system, we commend the dedicated efforts of election officials to protect the integrity of our elections. This week, as Governor Doug Ducey and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs completed the 2020 General Election State Canvass, we want to acknowledge that the integrity, success and security of the 2020 election is a testament to Arizona’s established systems and safeguards, implemented and administered by our election officials. We all owe these bipartisan public servants a debt of gratitude. Without them, and the voters we all serve, we would not have this great country where we elect our leaders freely and fairly.

Sincerely,

Chairman Galen D. Paton Commissioner Amy B. Chan Commissioner Mark Kimble Commissioner Damien R. Meyer Commissioner Steve M. Titla