Wed Sep 18 02:07:43 UTC 2024: ## Arizona Election Chaos: 100,000 Voters’ Status Uncertain Due to Database Error
**PHOENIX, AZ** – A major election glitch has thrown Arizona’s upcoming general election into turmoil, potentially affecting the outcome of key races and ballot measures. A coding error in state databases has misclassified nearly 100,000 voters who may be ineligible to vote in state and local elections.
The error, discovered just days before early ballots are scheduled to be mailed, has sparked a legal battle between Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. Fontes, a Democrat, argues the voters, mostly longtime Arizonans and Republicans, should be allowed to participate in the full ballot, while Richer, a Republican, insists they should be restricted to federal-only voting.
The issue stems from Arizona’s unique requirement for voters to prove citizenship for state and local races. The error misclassified voters who obtained drivers’ licenses before 1996, incorrectly marking them as eligible for the full ballot despite lacking required citizenship documentation.
“This was discovered not because somebody was voting illegally,” said Fontes, emphasizing that the issue arose during routine voter roll maintenance. He expressed concern about disenfranchising these voters, who believed they had satisfied all voting requirements.
Richer, however, maintains that the law must be followed, arguing that these voters have not met the citizenship requirements and should not be allowed to vote in state and local races.
The dispute is currently before the Arizona Supreme Court, which will determine the voting eligibility of these 97,500 voters, a number that could significantly impact the outcome of close races in the state Legislature and various ballot measures.
While the presidential election is not impacted, the outcome of the abortion rights amendment and a measure criminalizing non-citizens entering Arizona at unauthorized locations could be significantly affected by this unresolved voter status.
Fontes is currently setting up an electronic portal for voters to submit citizenship documentation if necessary. He emphasizes that, regardless of the court’s decision, all affected voters will be required to prove their citizenship to participate in state and local elections after the 2024 general election.
First Piper 