My View: Arizona Technology Council’s Vote TechSmart helps ID pro-tech candidates
It’s not often that more than 4 million people can agree on doing one thing that can actually add to their collective strength at the same time.
I’m referring to the total number of Arizonans who are registered to vote, a fundamental right that allows us to select those who guide our state, as well as our nation, and help make our democracy the envy of the world. With early voting starting for the Arizona primary election capped with in-person voting on July 30, it’s time to show we’re in this together.
What? Too busy to wade through the campaign materials and decide who to support? Fortunately, the Arizona Technology Council has done the work for you.
I’m referring to Vote TechSmart, a biennial resource produced by the Council to provide a comprehensive overview of Arizona legislative candidates’ positions on key issues affecting the technology industry.
The guide focuses on candidates running for the state House of Representatives and Senate in the 2024 elections. It includes endorsements based on each incumbent’s past voting records on technology industry issues, along with information collected from a written survey and legislative candidate interviews.
The Council and its Public Policy Committee put in the effort because we strongly believe it is our responsibility to educate voters on which Arizona Legislature candidates are most likely to support Arizona’s evolving technology ecosystem.
Don’t consider yourself enough of a techie to care what the candidates feel about this sector? Consider technology is becoming the linchpin of the state’s economy. That includes higher salaries than those paid for many other jobs and more tax revenue to support schools, roads and services.
In a period marked by belt tightening, we can count on technology to lead our economy into a more prosperous future. But we need to elect officials who believe the same.
To determine the endorsements, the Public Policy Committee drew from some of the Council’s recent legislative outcomes, along with each incumbent’s role or position on these bills. Ensuring Arizona continues to grow its business-friendly environment remains one of the Council’s top priorities. While the Council supports legislation that furthers Arizona’s mission to become the fastest-growing tech hub in the nation, it opposes any bill potentially having a negative economic impact.
The Public Policy Committee interviewed more than 40 incumbent and nonincumbent candidates, asking important questions on behalf of the technology industry. The committee carefully selected bills from the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions to determine which legislators showed a commitment to the Council members’ industries and issues. Those bills dealt with economic development incentive programs; continuation of the Arizona Commerce Authority; creating a statewide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ecosystem; transportation infrastructure; energy-related policies; and many other topics.
To help you choose among those seeking office in the Legislature, candidates appearing in the Vote TechSmart guide are listed by legislative district. While you can vote for one Senate candidate and two House of Representatives candidates in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts, the Council only recommends the candidates who support its technology agenda. Therefore, some districts may have fewer or more than three recommendations.
For more details, I invite you to visit the Vote TechSmart guide. If you do not know the elected officials serving your district, you can find them here.
To stay current on politics and policies affecting the state’s technology industry, visit the Council’s Policy + Advocacy landing page.
We have reason to feel positive about Arizona’s future. And nothing positive can happen without you. Our Vote TechSmart guide will help you get ready to play your part.
Steven Zylstra is president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council.