On Tuesday, September 17th, Arizona election officials revealed a clerical error in the state’s voter registration system, potentially impacting nearly 100,000 voters’ eligibility to participate in state and local elections. The issue stems from outdated driver’s license data, affecting residents who obtained their licenses before 1996 when proof of citizenship was not required. While these individuals can still vote in federal elections, their eligibility for state and local ballots is now under scrutiny.
The glitch erroneously marked these voters as having provided proof of citizenship, a requirement for state and local elections in Arizona since 2004. This issue does not affect federal elections, such as the 2024 presidential race, but could impact other important state issues, including Arizona’s ballot referendum on abortion rights. The situation has caused a political divide, with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican, advocating for affected voters to receive a “federal-only” ballot, while Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, is pushing for them to be allowed to vote on a full ballot.
The error was uncovered by the Maricopa County Recorder’s office earlier this month, affecting individuals who got their driver’s licenses before the 1996 requirement for proof of citizenship. Due to a system misclassification, these residents were mistakenly coded as eligible to vote in all elections. The governor’s office has since directed the state’s motor vehicles division to correct the coding error moving forward, but the status of those already impacted remains unresolved.
In response, the Maricopa County Recorder’s office filed a “friendly lawsuit” to seek guidance from the Arizona Supreme Court on whether these individuals should be given full ballots or restricted to federal-only ballots. Recorder Richer emphasized that, while the majority of these individuals are likely citizens who have attested as such under penalty of perjury, they have not technically provided the required documentation. The situation has added tension in Arizona, a key swing state with closely contested elections.
The development has fueled concerns among election integrity advocates, as Arizona has been a focal point for election-related controversies. Officials are now seeking to quickly resolve this issue before early ballots are distributed while making efforts to ensure voters affected by the error are informed and able to participate in upcoming elections.
