The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing roughly 98,000 Arizonans whose voter registration status was in limbo to participate in the full ballot in November. This decision came after a clerical error from 2004 was discovered by the Maricopa County Recorder’s office, which had granted these individuals voting registration status without documented proof of citizenship. Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, Adrian Fontes, praised the court’s decision, stating that it was a significant victory for those whose right to vote was under scrutiny. Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer emphasized that disenfranchising voters en masse was not authorized by state law and would violate principles of due process.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, who filed the lawsuit to resolve the issue, expressed relief at the court’s decision. Both Fontes and Richer argued that the 98,000 voters should be able to vote on the full ballot, including at both the federal and local levels, while the GOP Chair Gina Swoboda also praised the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of protecting the voices of voters who were in danger of being disenfranchised.
The decision to allow these voters to participate in the upcoming election garnered bipartisan support, with Swoboda, who has been critical of Arizona’s voting processes, aligning with election officials in recognizing the importance of ensuring that all voters have the opportunity to vote. Early voting in Arizona is set to begin on Oct. 9.
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