Arizona Faces Legal Showdown Over 218,000 Voters Without Citizenship Proof

Clear Facts

• America First Legal has filed a lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for not releasing the names of over 200,000 registered voters lacking proof of citizenship.
• A glitch in the voter roll system and a data coding oversight have affected the registration status of approximately 218,000 voters in Arizona.
• The lawsuit was initiated on behalf of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, with America First Legal arguing that state laws require the disclosure of such information.

In a significant legal move, America First Legal has taken action against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. The lawsuit stems from Fontes’ refusal to release the names of more than 200,000 registered voters who allegedly did not provide proof of citizenship. This legal battle emerges just weeks before a crucial Election Day, where former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are closely matched in the state.

Stephen Miller, president of America First Legal and former senior advisor in the Trump administration, emphasized the importance of this lawsuit.

“We are suing the state of Arizona for refusing to provide the list of 218,000 voters who failed or refused to establish citizenship.”

The issue gained further complexity when Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer identified a glitch in the voter roll system. This glitch incorrectly marked over 97,000 registered voters as having provided the necessary documentary proof of citizenship, a requirement under Arizona law. Richer took immediate action by filing an Emergency Petition in the Arizona Supreme Court to prevent these individuals from voting in upcoming elections.

Adding to the situation, Fontes recently revealed that another “set of approximately 120,000 Arizonans” might be affected by a data coding oversight involving the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Division and registration databases. This revelation brings the total number of potentially affected voters to around 218,000, a significant number considering the narrow margin of less than 11,000 votes that decided the 2020 presidential election in Arizona.

Following Richer’s lawsuit, America First Legal submitted a public records request to obtain the list of individuals who had unlawfully registered to vote. However, Fontes denied this request, citing concerns that releasing the names could lead to harassment and that compiling the list would be too burdensome for his staff.

James Rogers, senior counsel for America First Legal, criticized Fontes’ response to concerns about election integrity.

“There have been major failures in the administration of just about every general election in Arizona from 2016 until now.”

Rogers further stated, “The law requires Secretary Fontes to produce these records, and AFL will work to hold him accountable until he does.”

The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, also known as “EZAZ.org.” As the legal proceedings unfold, the demand for transparency and accountability in voter registration processes remains a focal point in Arizona’s election landscape.

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