Author

Jen Fifield/Votebeat

Jen Fifield/Votebeat

Jen Fifield is a reporter for Votebeat. She previously covered Maricopa County and Phoenix for The Arizona Republic, including the high-profile review of the county’s 2020 election. Prior to that, she covered politics and government for local newspapers in Maryland and state policy for Stateline, a news service run by The Pew Charitable Trusts. She has won several regional press awards in Arizona and Maryland for her investigative, feature, politics and education reporting. Jen is a Phoenix native and graduated from Arizona State University’s Cronkite School.

Republicans helped Arizona champion voting by mail. Now they want it gone.

By: - June 13, 2022

Republicans made Arizona an early vote-by-mail innovator in 1991, enacting one of the first laws in the country permitting voters to send in a mail ballot early without an excuse. The state then doubled down, setting up a system in 2007 for voters who wanted to automatically and permanently get ballots in the mail. The […]

Woman with ballot drop box

This Republican bastion of Arizona loves ballot drop boxes — the far right’s latest target

By: - June 8, 2022

Ballot drop boxes have become the far right’s latest cause célèbre, the focus of unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud, but they are well-loved in one Arizona Republican stronghold.

voters waiting in line

Maricopa County to double voting locations, citing COVID and misinformation

By: - June 3, 2022

Election officials in Arizona expect in-person voting to surge during the state’s August primary election, since fears of COVID-19 have somewhat dissipated and concerns over the security of voting by mail have increased.

Arizona would likely see recounts after every election under popular bill

By: - May 17, 2022

Update May 17, 3 p.m.: The Arizona House voted 50-1-9 this afternoon to pass the bill. It now awaits Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature before becoming law. Arizona’s largest county, Maricopa, would likely be required to recount all ballots cast in every election moving forward if a proposed change to state law passes. The bill, awaiting a […]