Tempe Democrat Files Lawsuit to Block Arizona’s Secure Elections Act

In what critics are calling a desperate attempt to prevent Arizona voters from having their say on election security, Tempe City Councilman Randy Keating filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging the placement of the Arizona Secure Elections Act on the November 2026 ballot.  

The measure, sponsored by Republican State Representative Alexander Kolodin was approved by the Arizona Legislature on June 12 and sent to voters as a constitutional amendment. It is also known as the FAST Election Results Act or Save AZ Act.  

Kolodin, who is running for Arizona Secretary of State, responded forcefully on X shortly after the filing:  

🚨 The radical left just sued to deny voters the choice to pass my FAST Act (aka the Save AZ Act)!

Fontes and his allies are afraid of giving voters the choice of:

🪪 Government issued ID for every ballot cast

🚫 No foreign funding for our elections

🇺🇸 Only citizens can vote… pic.twitter.com/ACt7HHgYKV

— Rep. Alexander Kolodin (@realAlexKolodin) June 26, 2026

The court document, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, names Keating as the plaintiff and targets the State of Arizona and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. It seeks an order to show cause challenging the legislative referendum under Arizona Revised Statutes related to ballot measures.  

If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would:  

• Limit voting in Arizona elections to U.S. citizens only.  
• Require government-issued photo identification for every ballot cast.  
• Ban foreign funding and influence in Arizona elections.  
• Implement faster, Florida-style election results by streamlining processes such as allowing voters who drop off mail ballots at polling places to show ID and bypass lengthy signature verification.

Supporters argue the changes would restore trust in Arizona’s elections, which have been plagued by delays, controversies over mail-in voting, and questions about eligibility in recent cycles. The measure draws from proven models in states like Florida that deliver rapid, transparent results while maintaining strong security.  

Kolodin has described the proposal as putting “the rules where they belong: in the Constitution,” shielding core election standards from future legislative or bureaucratic tinkering.  

The lawsuit was filed  just days after the Legislature referred the measure to the ballot, bypassing Governor Katie Hobbs’ veto power, and arrives amid Kolodin’s campaign against incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes, whom Kolodin and allies like Kari Lake have criticized over election administration. Keating, a Democrat and Tempe city councilman, is represented by attorneys from Herrera Arellano LLP.

As California Globe has chronicled, Arizona Republicans have pursued these reforms after prior legislative attempts faced vetoes and narrow voter margins, such as Proposition 309 in 2022. The latest challenge fits a pattern of law fare against Republican-led election integrity efforts.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, has been a vocal opponent of stricter voter ID and citizenship verification measures. Kolodin’s tweet directly calls out Fontes and “his allies” for fearing voter input on these issues.  

Kolodin, an election lawyer and chair of the House Committee on Election Integrity, has positioned his Secretary of State campaign around protecting every legal vote and ensuring only eligible citizens participate. His response to the lawsuit reinforces that commitment: “I will never let them silence your voice.”  

Arizona voters and the California Globe will now watch closely as the court process unfolds.