August 08th, 2025
PHOENIX – The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office has officially launched a new, secure voting system for military and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. The state is piloting the program with the counties sending ballots to UOCAVA voters for the Special General Election for Congressional District 7. This partnership with Enhanced Voting marks a major milestone in the state’s two-decade effort to modernize and enhance ballot access for military and civilian voters serving or living abroad.
“This new system is a leap forward in ensuring that every eligible voter, no matter where they are in the world, can easily cast a ballot that is both secure and truly anonymous,” said Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. “We’ve tested, vetted, and built in contingencies to ensure this system works as intended.”
Historically, UOCAVA voters in Arizona were required to waive their right to a secret ballot to vote due to how those ballots were processed once they were returned to Arizona’s county election officials.
“Enhanced Ballot changes that. When used as designed, it guarantees ballot anonymity, placing UOCAVA voters on equal footing with state-side voters,” Fontes said. “The system eliminates the need for duplication, reduces the risk of overvotes, and ensures that ballots are cast accurately and securely.”
Enhanced Ballot also makes it much easier for voters, particularly those in locations where they may not have access to a printer or scanner. The new system allows voters to complete the entire voting process from a personal device, including signing their ballot affidavit. However, the system still allows voters to print and mail their ballot, giving voters more flexibility and control over their voting experience while providing security for all choices.
The system has undergone rigorous testing, and contingency plans are in place; all ballots will be processed using Logic & Accuracy tested tabulators using paper ballots. Launching this new Enhanced Voting UOCAVA voting system for the Congressional District 7 Special Election allows for only a limited number of voters to be impacted, and the system is being treated as a pilot program to allow for flexibility and learning during this election. The system will be used statewide in future elections.
“This is the upgrade we’ve been working toward for 20 years,” Fontes added. “We’ve been doing electronic delivery and return for nearly two decades and this system finally brings the increased security and anonymity our voters deserve.”
The AZSOS received a grant from the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program for $2 million in 2023 and Enhanced Voting was the vendor chosen to provide the technology required to administer the new system. The grant was made available by FVAP to encourage states to improve the voting process of UOCAVA voters, many of which are military personnel. According to FVAP, about three-quarters of the 1.3 million active-duty military members are eligible to vote by UOCAVA because they're stationed away from their voting residence. However, as of 2022, only 63% registered and only 26% voted.
One of the reasons the state chose Enhanced Voting to provide support for this initiative is their excellent reputation for cybersecurity protection. The Enhanced Ballot received Rabet-V certification from the Center for Internet Security, the only product of its kind to receive this certification. Additionally, Enhanced Voting is SOC 2 Type II certified, ensuring that election and voter data is secure, strong controls over availability, confidentiality and privacy are maintained, and security monitoring and accountability is continuous.
For more information, visit the UOCAVA Voting Frequently Asked Questions section on http://azsos.gov back...
“This new system is a leap forward in ensuring that every eligible voter, no matter where they are in the world, can easily cast a ballot that is both secure and truly anonymous,” said Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. “We’ve tested, vetted, and built in contingencies to ensure this system works as intended.”
Historically, UOCAVA voters in Arizona were required to waive their right to a secret ballot to vote due to how those ballots were processed once they were returned to Arizona’s county election officials.
“Enhanced Ballot changes that. When used as designed, it guarantees ballot anonymity, placing UOCAVA voters on equal footing with state-side voters,” Fontes said. “The system eliminates the need for duplication, reduces the risk of overvotes, and ensures that ballots are cast accurately and securely.”
Enhanced Ballot also makes it much easier for voters, particularly those in locations where they may not have access to a printer or scanner. The new system allows voters to complete the entire voting process from a personal device, including signing their ballot affidavit. However, the system still allows voters to print and mail their ballot, giving voters more flexibility and control over their voting experience while providing security for all choices.
The system has undergone rigorous testing, and contingency plans are in place; all ballots will be processed using Logic & Accuracy tested tabulators using paper ballots. Launching this new Enhanced Voting UOCAVA voting system for the Congressional District 7 Special Election allows for only a limited number of voters to be impacted, and the system is being treated as a pilot program to allow for flexibility and learning during this election. The system will be used statewide in future elections.
“This is the upgrade we’ve been working toward for 20 years,” Fontes added. “We’ve been doing electronic delivery and return for nearly two decades and this system finally brings the increased security and anonymity our voters deserve.”
The AZSOS received a grant from the Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program for $2 million in 2023 and Enhanced Voting was the vendor chosen to provide the technology required to administer the new system. The grant was made available by FVAP to encourage states to improve the voting process of UOCAVA voters, many of which are military personnel. According to FVAP, about three-quarters of the 1.3 million active-duty military members are eligible to vote by UOCAVA because they're stationed away from their voting residence. However, as of 2022, only 63% registered and only 26% voted.
One of the reasons the state chose Enhanced Voting to provide support for this initiative is their excellent reputation for cybersecurity protection. The Enhanced Ballot received Rabet-V certification from the Center for Internet Security, the only product of its kind to receive this certification. Additionally, Enhanced Voting is SOC 2 Type II certified, ensuring that election and voter data is secure, strong controls over availability, confidentiality and privacy are maintained, and security monitoring and accountability is continuous.
For more information, visit the UOCAVA Voting Frequently Asked Questions section on http://azsos.gov back...
