Candidate Profile: Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, Pima County Recorder

The 2020 election is heating up in Arizona with plenty of candidates vying for office. While there is a huge emphasis on the presidential election, voters will also decide the outcome of state representative and senate seats.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, a Tucson resident, is running for Pima County Recorder.

Age: 38
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family: My husband, Ryan, is also a community leader. He and I have 19-year-old twins, who are displaced from the U of A dorms due to Covid-19.
Occupation: I have been an educator for the past 14 years, working in both the secondary (high school) and community college level as an English teacher and an academic advisor.
Previous elected experience: I'm the current president of the Progressive Democrats of Southern Arizona, current Vice-chair of the Arizona Democratic Party's Native American Caucus, a board member for the University of Arizona's Education Policy Center and a former executive committee member for the Pima County Democratic Party. I also served as an elected Congressional Level Delegate at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, representing Bernie Sanders.
Family members in government: No.
Campaign website: https://gabriellaforrecorder.o...

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our county and this office is the lack of communication between the office and the constituent. Many people are not aware of the services that this office provides. The Recorder's office oversees voter registration, early voting and document recording for the county. Many people don't know how to get registered or where to turn for their voting related questions.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm not running against my opponent, I'm running for this office. I am most interested in making voter registration and early voting as easy, fast and accessible as possible. I have spent many years out in the field, directly registering voters and advocating for members of our community who've been left behind. I want to empower our community by providing them with the information they need to participate in our democracy.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University was specifically designed to prepare leaders for institutional change. I have been able to utilize many of the skills I learned from that program; including being an integral part of a campus relocation while at Tohono O'odham Community College; building an Academic Advising program from the ground up; and cofounding Indivisible Tohono, a community organization that provides opportunities for education and civic engagement for members of my tribe.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

N/A

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?

Although my office will have no direct influence on policing issues, I am concerned with the large number of Pima County residents who have been disenfranchised due to felony convictions. We have come to terms that Arizona is a part of the prison industrial complex and that Black and Brown community members are not only targeted, but are most likely to be charged with longer, harsher sentences than their counterparts. When our community members are released, they will be most likely to struggle to find jobs and housing, and they will be most likely to need support services, but will be least able to make any decisions about what those services are. I will continue to provide information to our community members with felonies so they understand their rights and how to access them. I will work to improve the communication regarding rights restoration and at a minimum advocate for automatic rights restoration for those who have completed their obligations to the courts.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Ballot Text Message/Email System -
Utilizing text message and email technology will enable the Recorder’s Office to share information directly with voters such as when ballots are mailed out, when they are received by the Recorder’s office, and approaching mailing deadlines. Text message receipts are a very effective way of keeping voters informed of the voting process. They can also be utilized to alert the voter of an issue, such as an unsigned ballot, and provide instructions for correcting the errors. The service will be an opt-in option to better improve communication.

Ballot Drop Boxes-
Ballot Drop Boxes are a simple way for voters to drop off their ballots and other voting related materials at their convenience. These boxes are similar to United States Postal Service Collection Boxes and would enable voters to submit voter registration forms without the need for postage. They would also allow working people to securely deposit their ballots at any time of day or night and would minimize the need to find parking or enter buildings.

Increased Communication, Outreach, and Visibility-
Voters and Early Voting participants must have clear, easy to use instructions on how to access the services of the Recorder’s office. By taking the lead to create easy to use guides shared on multiple platforms and social media, the Recorder’s office can reach more voters and reduce the amount of inaccurate information that unintentionally gets circulated each election cycle, ultimately disenfranchising voters.

Commitment to Community Needs -
I am committed to meeting with stakeholders throughout the county to better understand the needs of the public. This includes strengthening relationships with rural and tribal communities, colleges and universities, the Latinx community, the elderly, the deaf/disabled community, and other communities where areas of growth have been identified. Additionally, I will meet with those stakeholders who utilize the website the most and rely on the services that the Recorder provides in order to do their work. I will strive to put out information that meets the changing needs of the community, and be open to continuous improvement based on community input. Immediate changes would include: a more accessible website that is not entirely dependent on PDFs, Spanish Language translation, videos addressing common voter registration issues for visual learners, and ASL interpretation and/or captioning as a standard.

Expansion of Early Voting Sites-
Over the past few years, local communities such as the Pascua Yaqui reservation have seen Early Voting sites closed against the wishes of tribal leaders. As Recorder, I would analyze current Early Voting Site distribution and make it a priority to increase Early Voting Sites in rural and tribal communities. We must identify locations within the county where community members are facing barriers to access Early Voting, and continuously improve the Office’s outreach and education around the benefits of utilizing Early Voting sites.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am an educator, community organizer and proud, dues paying, union member. I am educated, experienced, resourceful and extremely creative. I have a unique perspective for this office and am driven by community needs. When I win I will be the first Native American to hold an elected Pima County office.