A leaked call between Arizona election officials reveals that they feared a voter registration error affecting nearly 100,000 individuals would validate Republican concerns about illegal voting. Gov. Katie Hobbs and others worried that the error, which placed noncitizens on the full-ballot voter roll, could lend credibility to claims of election fraud.
Arizona requires voters to provide proof of citizenship to participate in state elections. Those who do not provide documentation are registered as “federal-only” voters, meaning they can only vote in federal races. The error, first discovered by Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, affected a noncitizen who was mistakenly placed on the full-ballot voter list. The investigation revealed that approximately 97,000 other voters may also be on the wrong list.
During a phone call with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes, Hobbs expressed concern that the issue would “validate all of their theories about illegal voting,” even though she asserted that these theories are false. Fontes added that no matter how they handled the situation, they would be criticized by Republicans.
Merissa Hamilton, Chairwoman of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, suggested that the Department of Homeland Security should expedite a review of the voter rolls to ensure noncitizens are removed. Despite these concerns, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the 97,000 voters would remain eligible for the upcoming election.
The discovery has intensified the debate over election security in Arizona, a state that has seen tight races in recent years.
