Arizona voters have been successfully using vote-by-mail for more than three decades. With those decades of experience, this state has become a shining example of how increased vote-by-mail access increases voter turnout and allows voters to participate easily and safely in their elections in a way that suits their busy lives. However, despite its popularity with voters across the political spectrum, this cornerstone of our democracy has continued to face renewed attacks over the years. 

Last month, the president of the United States posted on social media that his office was in the process of preparing an executive order that, among other things, would outlaw voting machines and make voting by mail illegal. While the administration shifted from issuing an executive order to hinting at taking a legislative path to make those same changes, the president and his anti-voter allies have not slowed down in their attempts to undermine this critical piece of American democracy. 

First, it must be said that the assertion that executive orders could make vote-by-mail illegal is unconstitutional, plain and simple. It’s based on lies and misinformation, and at any other point in history, it would be seen as political theater meant to intimidate election officials, not as a serious policy idea. If an executive order had the authority to institute this rule, which again, it doesn’t, it would block millions of Americans from voting, no matter their political beliefs. 

Arizona, in particular, has one of the highest shares of voters who cast their ballots by mail, excluding mail voting only states, with 74% of Arizona voters opting to vote by mail in 2024. Despite its popularity, anti-voter groups have continued to attack vote-by-mail. 

Recently, a court of appeals rejected a lawsuit backed by anti-voter groups and the Arizona GOP that sought to limit election officials’ ability to verify mail ballots. While the suit was struck down because the groups were unable to demonstrate that they had suffered a concrete injury from the state’s current signature verification process, it is clear that those who filed the suit are motivated to undermine Arizona voters’ ability to cast their ballots.

While many of the current administration’s threats to upend our voting systems via executive orders have been stalled for now, and the courts have managed to stave off some of these attacks against vote-by-mail and election certification from local conspiracy theorists and election deniers, the reality is that this is just the beginning. We should expect any and all methods of voting to come under the scrutiny of anti-voter conspiracy theorists who will do everything in their power to undermine the will of the people if it doesn’t fit their agenda.

Come 2026, Arizona voters will expect their elections to look as they always have, with the proven safeguards that have maintained free and fair elections up to this point. Sitting election officials, election experts, and voters alike must now continue to ensure that vote-by-mail and other proven election systems remain protected from these baseless attempts to undermine them.

Tearanie Chinn is All Voting Is Local Arizona’s senior Democracy Defense manager, and former deputy education director for Rural Arizona Engagement/Rural Arizona Action.