Arizona Voter List Issue Impacts Thousands, Triggers Major Legal Battle

Sign reading "Vote Here" in a polling station.

An error in Arizona’s voter registration system has placed nearly 100,000 voters in jeopardy of being unable to vote in local and state elections.

At a Glance

  • Nearly 100,000 Arizonans are affected by a voter registration error.
  • These individuals may be barred from voting in state and local elections due to lack of documented proof of citizenship.
  • Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to resolve the issue.
  • The Arizona Supreme Court is being urged to provide a quick ruling.

Voter Registration Error Discovered

Nearly 100,000 Arizonans have been incorrectly listed as having provided proof of citizenship in the state’s voter registration system, an error that could prevent them from voting in local and state elections. This mistake impacts those with old driver’s licenses and did not submit the required documentation but were coded as compliant, raising concerns about the integrity of upcoming elections.

The error came to light when a noncitizen was found to be registered for a full ballot, prompting Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer to review voter registration records. Richer announced that 97,688 individuals were incorrectly given access to a full ballot without documented proof of citizenship.

Legal Actions and Disputes

The discovery led Richer to file a lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. Richer seeks a court ruling on whether these nearly 100,000 individuals should be allowed to cast a full ballot in the upcoming November elections. Richer emphasized that, while these individuals have attested to their citizenship, they have not submitted documented proof. This legal battle underscores the urgency with ballots to military and overseas voters being sent soon.

This issue is magnified by Arizona’s stringent proof of citizenship law, established through Proposition 200 in 2004. Election officials are currently at odds over the next steps; Fontes proposes maintaining the status quo until after the election, while Richer calls for issuing federal-only ballots to the affected individuals.

Broader Implications and the Path Forward

The error was traced back to a flaw in how the system verified citizenship based on driver’s license issuance dates. Affected individuals with licenses predating October 1996 and updated before voter registration laws required proof of citizenship were wrongly coded. This flaw has persisted for nearly two decades across multiple state administrations.

Governor Katie Hobbs has ordered the Motor Vehicle Division to correct the coding error going forward and to conduct an independent audit. Affected voters are encouraged to contact the secretary of state’s office or their local county registrar for guidance. They may need to provide proof of citizenship to participate in state and local elections.

Sources:

  1. Nearly 100,000 Arizona voters are in limbo thanks to an error in registration system
  2. Arizona elections error could affect eligibility of nearly 100,000 voters
  3. Error with tracking citizenship puts nearly 100,000 Arizona voters’ eligibility in limbo
  4. Nearly 100,000 Arizona voters are in limbo thanks to an error in registration system
  5. Nearly 100K Arizonans could be impacted by error in voter registration system
  6. Arizona Supreme Court asked to address nearly 100,000 voters made ineligible by new law
  7. Lack of Citizenship Documents Might Keep Many From Voting in Arizona State and Local Races
  8. Court may decide if Arizonans with missing citizenship records can vote in state races
  9. Lack of citizenship documents might keep many from voting in Arizona state and local races

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