by Staff Reporter | Sep 25, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
There is just over one month left before the midterm elections in early November.
With just weeks to go, the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office has issued reminders of upcoming deadlines for voters to keep in mind.
October 5 is the deadline to register to vote for the election.
Early voting begins on October 7, and early ballots will be mailed out on this date.
Voters who choose to vote in person must have a valid government-issued ID that includes their name, photo, and address matching the one provided on their voter registration.
Voters with IDs that are expired or featuring an address differing from the one on their voter registration must provide two alternative forms of identification. Alternative forms of ID include a paper or digital Voter Registration Card, utility bill issued within 90 days of the election, bank or credit union statement issued within 90 days of the election, vehicle registration card or form, property tax statement, tribal identification, vehicle insurance card, non-photo government ID, or official election mail.
Voters who choose to vote via a mail ballot may turn in their ballot by mailing it or dropping it off at a secure drop box or Vote Center.
Voters may locate a drop box or voting location using the Maricopa County website.
There are 254 Vote Centers throughout the county, 26 drop box locations without in-person voting, and two 24-hour drop box locations. Certain Vote Center locations are subject to opening as drop box-only sites on certain days. Approximately 90 of the Vote Centers are non-electioneering sites.
October 23 is the deadline for requesting a replacement ballot by mail.
Mail ballots come with a green affidavit envelope. Voters must sign that envelope prior to mailing or dropping off their ballot at a drop box or Vote Center.
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office recommends mailing back early ballots by October 27 at the latest.
7 p.m. is the time to remember for Election Day on November 3.
On Election Day, all ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Postmarks do not count toward this deadline. Voters may also drop off their ballot at any ballot drop box until 7 p.m. Voters who are in line at a Vote Center before 7 p.m. will still be permitted to vote.
Maricopa County voters also have the option to expedite the tabulation of their ballot through ID Verify.
Through ID Verify, voters who show a valid ID while checking in at a Vote Center may have their ballot envelope stamped with an “ID Verified” marker. The stamp allows voters to bypass the signature verification process.
Voters impacted by signature verification issues have until 5 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2026, to verify their signature.
Voters may track their ballot by texting “JOIN” to 628-683. The county will provide real-time updates via text and/or email. Voters may also visit BeBallotReady.Vote to check the status of their ballot, as well as review their voter information and sign up for ballot tracking text or email alerts.
As of the primary election, Maricopa County has more than 2.5 million registered voters: more than 900,000 independents, 880,000 Republicans, 700,000 Democrats, 28,000 No Labels voters, 18,000 Libertarians, and 2,000 Green voters.
There are more than 4.3 million voters total in Arizona.
The county reported that the primary election went smoothly this year. More than 676,000 ballots were cast across more than 250 voting locations.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 24, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Progressive activist group leaders were charged and one was trespassed from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in connection with an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest.
The penalties resulted from the conduct of members from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Flagstaff during their ICE OUT protest earlier this month.
SDS Flagstaff is not a registered club on campus, and NAU does not recognize it as an official club on campus. The organization was founded in January 2026 and immediately began holding protests against ICE.
Kimberly Ott, associate vice president of University Strategic Communications, told The Lumberjack that SDS Flagstaff may register as an official club but has declined to take the necessary steps to fulfill registration requirements.
SDS Flagstaff Vice President Sarah Rogala and member Judah “Jay” Francabandera face allegations of code of conduct violations. Student Gio Alvarez also faces allegations. The students reportedly face penalties that may include suspension or expulsion.
The allegations include failure to comply with university officials and disrupting campus.
Rogala and Francabandera are scheduled to have their hearings on the charges later this month.
The organization held another protest opposing the charges against Rogala and Francabandera.
SDS is also accused of posting flyers and tabling on campus property, and using sound amplification without NAU permission.
Rogala was charged with code of conduct violations last semester and received probation set to expire Nov. 1, 2026.
NAU also trespassed Claire Wagoner, who is the SDS Flagstaff president, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization in Flagstaff, and a former NAU student.
Wagoner was also charged with code of conduct violations last semester as well. Those violations resulted in her receiving a deferred suspension set to expire May 1, 2028.
SDS Flagstaff is also demanding that NAU turn itself into a “sanctuary campus,” meaning that law enforcement could not detain illegal aliens on the property. SDS Flagstaff renewed their demands to the university in a statement following an ICE enforcement action that occurred on September 16.
“On Wednesday, September 16th, ICE agents kidnapped someone from Flagstaff, and these terrorists threatened to raid his home and kidnap his wife and children if they did not ‘self deport,’” stated SDS Flagstaff. “[ICE] is terrorizing anyone and everyone these fascist agents deem not white enough to be ‘legal.’”
In February, the organization held a sit-in protest and submitted more than 400 petition signatures as part of demands that NAU implement sanctuary campus policies. Justin Mallett, NAU’s vice president of Inclusive Excellence, and Bernadine Lewis, program director of Inclusive Excellence, met with Wagoner and Rogala but ultimately denied their demands.
That month, SDS Flagstaff also successfully protested against campus visits by the CIA, Border Patrol, and ICE. The CIA was scheduled to answer student questions, and all three agencies were anticipated to appear for the university’s Career Fair programming.
In March, SDS Flagstaff members demanded the Flagstaff City Council approve an ordinance from Keep Flagstaff Together banning ICE from operating on city property. The council rejected the proposed ordinance.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 23, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Earlier this summer, State Sen. Kiana Sears (D-LD9) attempted to scam a restaurant out of more than $1,500 worth of fried chicken.
Now, Sears is part of the inaugural “Black Leaders for Katie” coalition, launched by Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday as part of her reelection campaign. Sears was named second in a list of 35.
Members of the media referred to the ordeal as “Chickengate,” so dubbed by the Arizona Agenda who retrieved the emails involving the restaurant, lawmakers, senate staff, and lobbyists that shed light on Sears’s conduct.
The ordeal began after a Republican lawmaker and bipartisan lobbyist group organized an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. That event included more than $1,500 worth of catering from the Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken location in downtown Phoenix. The order included chicken, mac and cheese, coleslaw, sweet tea, and lemonade.
Following the event, Sears contacted the caterer purporting to be one of the individuals in charge. Sears did not coordinate or pay for the event. According to an email from the restaurant’s general manager, Sears claimed in a call that the chicken was “overcooked, dry, and not enjoyed by most” — directly contradicting positive feedback the restaurant had received from event coordinators.
The general manager also revealed that Sears demanded the $1,500 catering order be remade on Saturday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. Those who coordinated the event urged the restaurant to ignore Sears’s request.
Sears later dismissed questions from the media about the scam attempt as a “distraction” from her work as a lawmaker, and refused to answer other questions regarding where the catering order would have gone if the restaurant had fulfilled it.
As part of Hobbs’ launch of Black Leaders for Katie, the governor hosted a roundtable pledging her commitment to minority-owned businesses.
Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken began with a little operation founded by a Black family, originally called Maggie’s Short Orders by Napoleon “Na” and Maggie Vanderbilt when they first opened in Tennessee in 1973, and then renamed to the current branding after their son, Vernon “Gus” Bonner, who took over the business in the 1980s. The Bonner family has since sold the franchising rights to these restaurants.
There are four Gus’s locations in Arizona, and 38 locations across 13 states.
Other Black Leaders for Katie members are:
- Corey Woods, Tempe Mayor
- Quantá Crews, State Representative
- Kesha Hodge Washington, Phoenix Vice-Mayor
- Kevin Robinson, Phoenix Councilmember
- Henry Wade, Maricopa Councilmember
- Max White, Avondale Councilmember
- Khara House, Flagstaff City Councilmember
- Coral Evans, former Flagstaff Mayor
- Cloves Campbell Jr., former State Representative
- Berdetta Hodge, former Tempe Councilmember
- Rev. Sheriolyn Curry Hodge, Community & Business Leader
- Rev. Andre Miller, Faith and Community Leader
- Pastor David Wade, Mt. Calvary Baptist church
- Rev. Brian Wright, The Citadel of Praise, Overseer
- Connie DeLarge, Arizona Democratic African American Caucus, Chair
- Briona Parkinson, Maricopa Area Labor Federation, Chair
- Carla Gentles, Gentles Agency, Partner
- Karl Gentles, Gentles Agency, Partner
- Rosiland Moore, Business Leader
- Kent O’Jon, Business Leader
- Sasha Simmons, Business Leader
- Shannon Tolbert, Business Leader
- Ashley Anderson, Community Leader
- Dr. Edmon Baker, MD
- Dr. George Barnes, Education Leader
- Carla Boatner, Community Leader
- Dr. Joanne Curry
- Dr. Karen Hardin, Ed.D Faculty Emeritus
- Jackie Johnson, Community Leader
- Dr. Kenja Kassan
- Dr. Gail Knight, Community and Education Leader
- Dr. Matthew C. Whitaker, Community Leader
- Donna Williams, Attorney and Community Leader
- Rohn Ragland, Student Leader
[Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons]
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 23, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The monsoon season rains are anticipated to wind down in Arizona, but the political attack ads are picking up.
Arizona residents have likely received campaign mailers at this point in the election season. Some of those mailers have a disclosure that they were paid for by the Arizona Democratic Party, thanks to funds by Arizona Public Service (APS) and Elevance Health (operating as Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup).
These mailers appear to be targeting voters in swing districts throughout the state.
One mailer reflected opposition to Republican state legislative candidates seeking to represent Legislative District 13: Julie Willoughby for State Senate, and Kevin Hartke and Janet Weninger for State House. This mailer claimed Willoughby, Hartke, and Weninger would cost taxpayers more through school choice funds.
Another mailer reflected support for Willoughby’s Democratic primary opponent, Kristie O’Brien. This mailer claimed O’Brien would lower costs for the community.
Both mailers stress affordability, but they were financed by the same companies which have sought or imposed double-digit rate increases for Arizonans’ utilities and healthcare.
According to state campaign finance records, Elevance Health donated $25,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party last May. They have never donated prior to that time. As reported previously, Elevance Health was one of the top single donors last year to the heavily indebted Arizona Democratic Party.
APS donated $40,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party in three installments: June 2025, September 2025, and June 2026. The earliest APS donations on record to Arizona Democrats occurred in 2024, totaling $80,000.
As reported previously, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the owner of APS, was one of the top donors for Gov. Katie Hobbs’ secretive inaugural and litigation funds.
As far as state campaign finance records go online (back to 2002), neither Elevance Health nor APS has ever donated to the Arizona Republican Party.
Both organizations have made headlines over the past year for raising their rates by double digits.
Elevance Health recently raised its premium rates by 24% across its Affordable Care Act and Medicare plans. It also requested an additional 17% increase in rate hikes for 2027, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is also looking to cut down on the offerings within its affordable healthcare portfolio. It has signaled that it will exit underperforming Medicaid programs in multiple states by the end of 2027, following its recent departures from Louisiana and the Washington, D.C., markets.
Similarly, APS has requested to increase its rates by 14% to 16% for residential customers and more than 45% for large load users like data centers and manufacturing companies. APS is also petitioning to implement a new formula that would allow for automatic rate adjustments annually.
This financial support from Elevance Health and APS has boosted Democrats’ ongoing efforts to flip key seats in the Arizona legislature, which would result in Republicans losing their slim majority.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is targeting 17 races throughout the state, including in Legislative Districts 2, 4, 13, and 17 in the Senate and Legislative Districts 2, 4, 13, 16, 17, and 23 in the House.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 22, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Glendale resident Joshua James Lozano, 42, fainted in court after learning that he may spend life in prison for the charges against him.
Lozano faces 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the Maricopa County Superior Court (case number: CR2026-135393-001).
Lozano was charged with 10 counts of distributing, transporting, exhibiting, receiving, selling, purchasing, electronically transmitting, possessing, or exchanging any visual depiction in which a minor is engaged in exploitative exhibition or other sexual conduct.
The judge found that probable cause was present for all 10 counts.
Maricopa County deputy county attorney Ashley Stetson appeared on behalf of the state of Arizona. Stetson said the state recommended sentencing of 10 years on each count, and requested the sentences be served consecutively — or, 100 years.
“He is, in effect, looking at a life sentence,” said Stetson. “The state has concern for the community, specifically minors in the community. It does appear based on the state’s reading of the form that he may have been talking online with underaged minors.”
Moments after Stetson proposed that punishment, Lozano collapsed. His fall temporarily caused court proceedings to halt and required emergency medical assistance, though moments after his fall, Lozano returned to a seated position with minimal assistance.
Court documents reflect that authorities arrested Lozano after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The organization reported receiving multiple CyberTips from Lozano’s internet service provider between April and May that alleged that Lozano had accessed sexual exploitation materials involving minors.
Lozano has resided in Glendale for the past eight years with his wife of six years. Glendale police arrested Lozano last week after investigators traced the illicit online activity to Lozano.
NCMEC operates a CyberTipline which collects tips from the public and electronic service providers regarding suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, and unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child.
In 2025, NCMEC reported receiving more than 21 million reports to its CyberTipline.
Lozano worked as a cleaner for Banner Del Webb Hospital in Sun City. Court records also reflected that Lozano was arrested in the past for driving under the influence and on a suspended license.
Republican lawmakers in Arizona have prioritized securing stricter laws to protect children from online exploitation and harsher punishments for adults who exploit children.
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), the Republican nominee for governor, has been advocating for bipartisan support of legislation addressing child exploitation occurring online. The new legislation addresses violent online terror networks, or child sextortion cells, which coerce and exploit children into committing torturous or sexually exploitative acts including self-harm, suicide, and animal abuse.
Similar to the proposed sentencing Loranzo faces, the proposed congressional measure would punish violators with up to 10 years in prison, or up to life in prison if the child dies as a result of the coercion or extortion.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
