Yesterday, the Arizona Supreme Court dealt yet another blow to Republicans’ attempts to make it harder to vote in Arizona. The unanimous decision dismissed a Republican challenge to the state’s 2023 Election Procedure Manual (EPM), which provides instructions for election administration. It’s the playbook for a free and fair election. Republicans had sought to strike down the manual, which was last updated by Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. Republicans objected to provisions that would have made it easier for people to vote. The DNC intervened to help defend the case.

From Arizona to North Carolina, the DNC will continue fighting to protect Americans’ ability to vote and the integrity of free and fair elections.

Take a look at some of the coverage below: 

Arizona Daily Star: Arizona Supreme Court agrees with Fontes on election manual

[Howard Fischer, 10/16/25]

“In a brief decision Thursday, the justices rejected arguments by the Arizona Republican Party and the Republican National Committee that there is nothing legally wrong with Fontes providing just 15 days for individuals and others to comment about provisions in the manual. The manual is meant to provide a guide for county election officials about how to deal with everything from voter registration to counting of ballots.”

KJZZ: Arizona Supreme Court overturns appeals court in Election Procedures Manual case

[Wayne Schutsky, 10/16/2025]

“The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the secretary of state does not have to follow a law governing how state agencies make rules when he creates a biennial rule book for local election officials.

“The decision overturned an Arizona Court of Appeals ruling that sided with the Arizona Republican Party, Republican National Committee and Yavapai County Republican Party, who filed a lawsuit claiming Secretary of State Adrian Fontes should have complied with the Arizona Administrative Procedures Act when he crafted the 2023 Election Procedures Manual.”

KVOA: Arizona court backs election manual process, supports Fontes

[KVOA Staff, 10/16/25]

“The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s elections procedures manual does not need to adhere to the Standard Administrative Procedures Act.

“The court’s decision aligns with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and supports the long-standing process for adopting the manual.”

AZ Mirror: Supreme Court backs Fontes on election rulebook creation process, handing defeat to Republicans

[Caitlin Sievers, 10/16/2025]

“Arizona’s high court says the biennial election rulebook that tells local elections officials how to implement state law doesn’t have to follow the standard rule-making process, reversing an appellate ruling that possibly invalidated the rulebook created in advance of the 2024 election. …

“On Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a short, two-page order overturning that appellate decision and sending the case back to the appeals court to determine whether any of the eight specific EPM provisions that the RNC challenged in the suit violate state law.”

Axios Phoenix: Arizona’s pivotal role in shaping the Voting Rights Act

[Jessica Boehm, 10/16/2025]

“The Democratic National Committee challenged the laws — one that required ballots cast at the wrong precinct to be thrown out and the other preventing anyone but a family member from returning a voter’s early ballot — alleging they were discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act because they disproportionately impacted rural Native American communities.

“The Supreme Court upheld the laws, essentially saying that voters must be prevented from casting a ballot to prove they were suppressed or discriminated against.”

Democracy Docket: In Win for Voters, Arizona Supreme Court Tosses GOP Challenge to State’s Election Manual

[Jim Saksa, 10/16/25]

“In a win for voters, the Arizona Supreme Court dismissed a Republican bid to throw out the state’s 2023 Election Procedure Manual (EPM), overturning an appeals court ruling that could have upended election administration in the Grand Canyon State. …

“For nearly a year, Arizona’s election professionals have been forced to divert time and taxpayer resources defending against an unnecessary, politically motivated lawsuit,’ Fontes said. ‘This case was never about improving elections — it was about creating confusion and scoring political points at the expense of our democracy. I am proud that the Court has rejected that approach and restored stability and clarity to Arizona’s election administration.’”