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UpdateArizonaWednesday, November 4, 2026

Arizona secretary of state race remains too close to call

The race between Democratic incumbent Adrian Fontes and Republican Alexander Kolodin had not been decided as of November 4.

By the Democracy SENTRY deskPublished

Reporting by
KOLD News 13 (Tucson)
“Arizona secretary of state race between Fontes, Kolodin too close to call”, Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Read the full story
What happened

As of 11:30 p.m. on November 4, Fontes led 57% to Kolodin's 41.8%. Fontes declared victory in an Election Night speech saying voters affirmed his approach to fairness and access. Kolodin, backed by President Donald Trump, had not spoken publicly about the race.1

57%
Fontes vote share as of 11:30 p.m. November 41
41.8%
Kolodin vote share as of 11:30 p.m. November 41
1/2 of 1%
margin that triggers an automatic recount3
What it means in Arizona

What happens next

Counties must canvass the returns no later than the third Thursday after the election, November 19.2 The statewide canvass is held on the third Monday after the election, November 23.2 An automatic recount is required when canvass results show that the difference in total votes cast for the top two candidates is less than or equal to 1/2 of 1% of the votes cast for both such candidates.3 In the event of a recount, certificates are issued at the recount's completion.4

Key dates in Arizona

Election Day in -6 days
  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
  2. Wed, Oct 7 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Fri, Oct 23 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  4. Fri, Oct 30 · passed
    Early voting ends
  5. Tue, Nov 3 · passed
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
  6. Mon, Nov 23 · 14 days
    State certification

Every date in Arizona, and who certifies the election

More on this story
Arizona · Nov 9
Arizona voters decided eight statewide ballot propositions
Reporting by KOLD News 13 (Tucson)
Arizona · Nov 3
Maricopa County prepared for Election Day after heavy weekend rain
Reporting by Cronkite News
The answers behind this
How votes are counted and made officialVoting in Arizona, 2026Who certifies the election in Arizona, and by when?Is a recount automatic in a close race?

Explore this issue

OverviewUpdates In depthArizona voters decided eight statewide ballot propositions In depthVirginia sets December 7 date to certify 2026 election results In depthWestchester County voters encountered paper ballot issues In depthFlorida puts the governor's party first on the ballot In depthJustice Department plans to send monitors to three Ohio counties In depthDHS secretary says Trump administration will review voting logs In depthJudge declines to block administration threats to election officials In depthJustice Department charged 63 people with election-related crimes In depthU.S. Attorney named Election Officers in Southern District of Ohio In depthNAACP asked court to block federal agents as election monitors In depthDOJ reportedly wants to threaten poll workers with prosecution In depthFormer election officials filed brief warning against federal threats

Sources

  1. KOLD News 13 (Tucson), https://kold.com/2026/11/04/arizona-secretary-state-race-between-fontes-kolodin-too-close-call · Wednesday, November 4, 2026
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. nass.org, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  4. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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