On behalf of the Republican National Committee, the Arizona GOP, and the Yavapai County GOP, First & Fourteenth is proud to share a significant win in the Arizona Court of Appeals. In a 3-0 ruling, the court found that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes violated Arizona’s Administrative Procedure Act by failing to follow basic notice-and-comment rulemaking in adopting the nearly 300-page manual that governs the administrative of elections. Fontes had maintained that his adoption of the manual was exempt from rulemaking protections.
This ruling reaffirms a critical principle: that a secretary of state cannot unilaterally act to impose his own set of rules on the administration of federal and state elections. When officials bypass established procedures, public trust—and the rule of law—suffers.
The court’s decision sends the case back to the trial court and opens the door to further accountability and legal clarity ahead of future elections.
We’re honored to represent clients committed to ensuring that election integrity and procedural fairness remain the foundation of our democratic process.
Read more: Arizona Court Overrules Secretary Of State Fontes’ Elections Manual.
Represented by our partners: Julian Ellis & Chris Murray.