Arizona is yet again a notable player on the national stage for election policy. The Grand Canyon State's own Tonia A. Tunnell and Eslir Musta were appointed to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Standards Board, as reported by the Arizona Secretary of State. Tunnell serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State while Musta is the Coconino County Elections Director, positions from which they'll contribute their substantial expertise to the nation's election discourse.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes expressed his confidence in the appointees. "We’re proud to have both a state and local voice from Arizona on this important board," he disclosed in statements released by the AZSOS. Fontes highlighted both individuals as embodying a "shared commitment to the integrity of our elections." Tunnell has been wielding her public sector leadership skills for over thirty years, particularly focused on elections for the last twenty. Musta, balancing his time as both Elections Director and Assistant County Manager since 2021, boasts a Master of Public Administration degree from Northern Arizona University. That department now collaborates with the state to offer an Elections Administration Official Certificate.
The Standards Board consists of 110 members who play a critical role in the review of Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) and advising the EAC on best practices for election administration. It’s a body that represents a mix of 55 state election officials and 55 local election officials from across the United States and its territories under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). For a comprehensive view of the 2025 EAC Standards Board roster, please refer to the full list published on the Arizona Secretary of State’s official website.
