/ Modified oct 9, 2020 2:21 p.m.

US Senate debate, fact checking claims, voter security

Plus, assessing debate styles and strategies.

The same week Arizona began mailing early ballots, candidates in the high-profile race for U.S. Senate made their biggest pitch to undecided voters at their first and only debate. Arizona 360 host Lorraine Rivera served as a moderator alongside journalists Ted Simons from Arizona PBS, Steve Goldstein from KJZZ and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez from The Arizona Republic. Goldstein and Wingett Sanchez later joined Rivera to debrief the events of Tuesday night and analyze the candidates’ performance.


Arizona’s candidates for U.S. Senate debated for nearly 90 minutes and took questions on several topics, including Republican Sen. Martha McSally’s record on health care, gun control, abolishing the filibuster rule and Democrat Mark Kelly’s business ties in China. On those issues, Christopher Conover looked into some of the candidates’ claims to sort out what’s fact or fiction and what needs more context.


In addition to unpacking what the Senate candidates had to say at their debate, Arizona 360 got analysis on how Sen. Martha McSally and Mark Kelly delivered their statements. Arizona 360 learned more from University of Arizona Department of Communication professor Kate Kenski about the candidates’ debate strategies.


A record-breaking number of people have registered for the 2020 election, but how do you know your ballot will be safe?

Tony Paniagua reports on what officials with the Pima County Recorder's Office and the FBI say they are doing to protect voters, including verifying suspicious signatures on mail ballots and investigating allegations of intimidation.

They also recommend residents seek out accurate information from reliable sources and not rely on social media postings or other questionable sources.

If you plan to vote by mail, experts say you should ensure you return your ballot one week before election day and follow up to ensure it has been received.

Arizona 360
Arizona 360 airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on PBS 6 and Saturdays at 8 p.m. on PBS 6 PLUS. See more from Arizona 360.
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