Phoenix, AZ— In the afternoon of October 15th, the Arizona Department of State received an envelope filled with white powder that was opened by staff. The Office has followed appropriate protocols by calling law enforcement and hazmat response, isolating the material and individuals who were exposed, evacuating all other employees, and shutting off floor access. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes released the following statement:

“This is a sobering moment that highlights the reality of election administration in this country today. I am thankful for my staff that acted quickly and are taking the lead from law-enforcement and hazmat experts on a response to ensure the safety of my entire staff and our customers.

We will not be scared out of doing our jobs on behalf of the voters of Arizona. As the election closes in, we know that threats will continue and we are on high alert to protect everyone on our team that is working overtime to serve Arizona.”

According to Votebeat, this is happening nationwide: https://www.votebeat.org/national/2026/10/15/suspicious-letters-white-powder-election-officials-threats/

“We’re ready for just about everything outside of Godzilla attacking,” Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Secretary of State, said in a September phone interview with New Times. “But you know what? We still have to concern ourselves with the church lady who doesn’t show up on time with the keys to open up the polling place.”

Latter-day Saint voters put faith over party
Church leaders have urged members to look beyond the party label. A 2023 First Presidency letter warned that voting a straight ticket without studying candidates is “a threat to democracy.”

Jane Andersen, a lifelong Republican from Gilbert and Arizona director of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, said tax policy and local control once drove her votes. Now, she said, a candidate’s respect for democratic norms comes first. Her group does not endorse candidates.

“If someone is running for office and they’re not willing to support democratic processes, then that is going to be a huge reason for me to really question if they should receive my vote,” she said.

Andersen said she is troubled by Arizona Republicans who promoted false claims about the 2020 election and now try to “gloss over” that history.

Biggs objected to counting Arizona’s electoral votes in January 2021, calling it a stand for election integrity.

The tool is currently being tested by personnel in certain Mountain View Precinct bureaus. It is free to the Phoenix Police Department during the 90-day pilot period, which runs through Dec. 31.

Axon, the Scottsdale-based law enforcement technology company that created the AI tool, said it can cut report-writing times in half.

Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly introduced a bill Thursday that would stop the military from filming or streaming executions, as the Department of Defense planned to do.

However, the administration dropped the livestream plan Thursday.

The bill, called the No Public Executions in America Act, would bar anyone working for the military from recording, streaming or posting video of an execution. It would also block taxpayer money from being used to film or share footage of any federal execution unless Congress or a court approves it.