The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing roughly 98,000 Arizonans whose voter registration status was in limbo to participate in the full ballot in November. This decision came after a clerical error from 2004 was discovered, allowing these individuals to vote without providing documented proof of citizenship. The ruling was praised by Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state Adrian Fontes, who called it a significant victory for voters’ fundamental right to vote. The court determined that disenfranchising voters on a mass scale would violate due process. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer filed a lawsuit and worked with Fontes to resolve the issue, leading to the court’s decision. Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda also applauded the ruling, emphasizing the importance of protecting the voices of all voters. Swoboda, who has been critical of Arizona’s voting processes, found herself aligned with a bipartisan coalition of election officials in this case. Early voting in Arizona begins on Oct. 9, and these individuals will now be able to vote on the full ballot, casting their votes at both the federal and local levels.
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