U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence Membership Bypassing State Funding Bans (AZ)

Coconino County joined the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence — a program operated by the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) — as a “basic member” in January 2023, paying annual membership fees in exchange for consulting credits, coaching, and access to resources from Alliance partners. Internal emails obtained via open records request show that county officials shared elections office practices, planning documents, and prior election mailing materials with Alliance partners as part of the program. Arizona’s private election funding ban, A.R.S. § 16-407.01 (enacted 2021), prohibits counties from “receiv[ing] or expend[ing] private monies for preparing for, administering or conducting an election.” County attorney review concluded the membership did not violate state law — a conclusion critics dispute, arguing that consulting credits and in-kind services from a CTCL-affiliated program constitute private support for election administration regardless of form.[][] Indiana addressed this specific gap by enacting separate legislation prohibiting counties from joining “the membership of, or participat[ing] in a program offered by, a person who has directly financed” election administration activities; Arizona has not enacted equivalent language.