Nearly 100,000 Arizona voters are caught in an election system error that could affect their eligibility in upcoming state and local elections. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes revealed that voters were incorrectly marked as having provided proof of citizenship, a requirement for voting in state elections. The problem stems from a database issue linked to Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), which has miscategorized voters since at least 1996.
Arizona law mandates that residents must show documented proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections. However, in 2013, a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed the state to issue federal-only ballots to those lacking this documentation, meaning they could still vote in federal elections, but not in state races. The voters affected by the current error were believed to have met the state’s citizenship requirements but had actually registered using outdated MVD records.
Maricopa County, Arizona recorders office is suing the S.O.S to prevent (98K) non registered voters from voting in November
Trump lost Arizona in 2020 by less than 11K votes… so, do the math.. this could prove big pic.twitter.com/sE8sPnB0e2
— @Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) September 19, 2024
The error was first noticed by a Maricopa County official who discovered a voter, who lacked proof of citizenship, was incorrectly listed as eligible for full ballots. This sparked concerns over how the issue would be addressed with critical elections just months away. Fontes emphasized that the error spans more than 20 years and has persisted under multiple administrations.
Governor Katie Hobbs responded by ordering the MVD to rectify the issue and called for an independent audit to ensure that the system properly supports voter registration in the future. While the database glitch primarily impacts voters who obtained their driver’s licenses before 1996 and later registered to vote, it has raised questions about the broader integrity of voter rolls in the battleground state.
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According to the Arizona self installed Secretary of State Adrian Fontes,
Election officials "accidentally" marked almost 100,000 voters who did NOT provide proof of CITIZENSHIP as having done so.
Meaning, not a chance in hell it was an accident. It’s just he got… https://t.co/T8niP0YrcR pic.twitter.com/iVtk2X6g5W
— 🇺🇸RealRobert🇺🇸 (@Real_RobN) September 18, 2024
With ballots for military and overseas voters set to go out imminently, election officials face a time crunch to resolve the situation. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer noted that his office is taking the Secretary of State to court to clarify how these voters should be handled in the upcoming elections. Richer maintains that those without documented proof of citizenship should only be allowed to vote in federal races. Fontes, however, argues that implementing changes this close to the election would place an undue burden on voters, potentially disenfranchising thousands.
The court battle centers on whether the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirements should be enforced for the November 2024 elections or delayed until 2025. As the dispute unfolds, affected voters remain in limbo, unsure whether they will be able to cast ballots for state and local races. This issue underscores the complexity of Arizona’s bifurcated voting system, where state laws sometimes clash with federal mandates, particularly regarding voter registration and eligibility.
The timing of this error is especially significant given Arizona’s status as a swing state. With tight races expected, the outcome of these legal battles could shape voter turnout and influence election results. Ensuring that only eligible voters participate, while safeguarding against disenfranchisement, is a balancing act that will require swift action from the courts and state officials..
