Arizona election officials have privately expressed concerns about the fallout from a mistake that placed nearly 100,000 voters on the wrong voter list, potentially giving noncitizens the ability to vote in state elections. Gov. Katie Hobbs and others worried that this error could validate Republican claims about illegal voting, even though they continue to insist that such claims are unfounded.
The error was discovered when Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer found a noncitizen listed as a full-ballot voter. Further investigation revealed that approximately 97,000 other voters were registered as full-ballot voters despite not providing the necessary proof of citizenship.
During a phone call with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes, Hobbs described the situation as “urgent” and “dire.” Fontes expressed concern that no matter what action was taken, election officials would be heavily criticized.
Critics of Arizona’s election system argue that this situation could have been avoided if voter roll maintenance had been conducted more thoroughly. Merissa Hamilton, Chairwoman of Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, suggested that the Department of Homeland Security should review the voter list to remove ineligible voters.
Despite these concerns, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the 97,000 voters would remain on the voter rolls, citing a lack of legal authority to remove them en masse. This decision comes as Arizona continues to be a battleground state, with election integrity remaining a hotly debated topic.
