Non-profit

Voter Choice Arizona

Website:

www.voterchoicearizona.org

Location:

Peoria, AZ

Tax ID:

85-1460608

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Type:

Voting Reform

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Voter Choice Arizona advocates adopting ranked-choice voting to Arizona. 1 The organization is entirely run by volunteers and claims the new voting system would break up “the party duopoly status quo.” 2 3

Background

Voter Choice Arizona advocates for instituting ranked-choice voting in the state. The organization claims ranked-choice voting will move Arizona politics away from a two-party voting system and hyper-partisanship. 4 Voter Choice AZ contends that ranked choice voting will increase the power of voters compared to lobbyist and possibly challenge “the party duopoly status quo.” 5

The organization says it is operated exclusively by volunteers donating their time and money. 6

Voter Choice Arizona made efforts to get the cities of El Mirage, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Peoria, Prescott and Tempe to adopt ranked choice voting for municipal elections. 7

Executive Team

Blake Sacha is president of Voter Choice Arizona. He is an adjunct chemistry instructor at Grand Canyon University. 8 He retired from Intel in 2013 after working for the company for 28 years. Sacha is a former member of the Gilbert Public Schools board, was president of the Gilbert Education Foundation, and co-chair of Unite for Education AZ. He ran for the Arizona legislature in 2018, losing in a Republican primary. 9

Richard Cook is a founding member and treasurer of Voter Choice AZ. He is a former U.S. Navy submarine officer now working in business analysis and IT program management. 10

David Tinow is a founding member of Voter Choice AZ. He worked for engineering consulting firms applying environmentalist building principles to design HVAC, plumbing, and fire-sprinkler systems. He also worked for a multinational semiconductor fabrication plant design. Tinow is a former co-leader of the water resources management team at Arizona Sustainability Alliance. He was a Represent.Us Arizona state chapter organizer starting in 2017 and became a chapter leader from 2020-22. 11

Kazz Fernandes is the organizing director for Voter Choice America. Previously, Fernandes was a national organizer with Rank the Vote. 12

Betsy Boggia is on the executive team of Voter Choice AZ and handles outreach marketing and social media. She is the Southern Arizona Regional Director for Arizonans for Fair Elections, and a board member of the League of Women Voters in Tucson, Arizona. Previously, she co-founded the Million Mom March for Gun Control chapter in Massachusetts. 13

Mike Drum is on the executive team and oversees technology for Voter Choice AZ. He works for the Planetary Science Institute as a software developer for the NASA Planetary Data System. 14

Kathy Knecht is on the executive team overseeing endorsements. She is a consultant with Knecht for Success, LLC. She served three terms on her local school board and ran two races for the Arizona State Legislature. She was the first Executive Director of Leadership West, Inc. She also launched The Vista Center for the Arts. 15

Sean Krieg is a member of the executive team for Voter Choice AZ. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Krieg helped launch 1Day Sooner’s legislative advocacy team. He is a law student at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. 16

Jon Ralston is on the executive team involved with social media outreach and speakers. He worked for several years in education at the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind. He also worked as a licensed massage therapist, before he became an acupuncturist. He is a member of the Arizona Green Party as well as the Pima County Green Party. 17

Chris Rudkowski is on the executive team and is involved in promoting the local adoption of RCV. He works in local government and in the U.S. Army. 18

Topher Speth is on the executive team involved in technology. Speth is the product manager at Carvana, specializing in API platforms. Speth has been a volunteer in the Arizona Libertarian Party. 19

Eric Varela is on the executive team involved in messaging, marketing, and social media. He previously owned a local commercial landscape company, and now works as a marketing manager in the financial technology vertical. 20

Jeff Wattier is on the executive team involved in policy and research. He works at State Farm Insurance in Tempe, Arizona. 21

References

  1. Homepage. Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/
  2. “About.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/about
  3. “About.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/about
  4. Sanchez, Camryn. “Arizona groups push ranked choice voting.” Arizona Capitol Times. December 1, 2022. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2022/12/01/arizona-groups-push-ranked-choice-voting/
  5. “About.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/about
  6. “About.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/about
  7. Duda, Jeremy. “Group hopes to bring ranked choice voting to Arizona cities.” Arizona Mirror. November 12, 2021. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.azmirror.com/2021/11/12/group-hopes-to-bring-ranked-choice-voting-to-arizona-cities/
  8. “Blake Sacha.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-sacha-7558826a/
  9.  “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  10. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  11. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  12. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  13. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  14. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  15. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  16.  “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  17. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  18. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  19. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  20. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
  21. “Executive Team.” Voter Choice Arizona. Accessed February 24, 2023. https://www.voterchoicearizona.org/executive_team
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2020

  • Available Filings

    No filings available.

    Voter Choice Arizona

    4562 E DESERT TRUMPET RD
    Peoria, AZ 85044-6044