In a significant revelation, Arizona officials have disclosed that nearly 100,000 voters were registered with full voting privileges without ever providing proof of U.S. citizenship.
This issue, discovered amid a lawsuit accusing the state of failing to maintain accurate voter rolls, has sparked outrage among conservative groups and raised concerns about election integrity, according to Just The News.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes confirmed that about 97,000 voters were incorrectly labeled as having provided citizenship proof due to a long-standing error in the state’s system.
This problem, which dates back 20 years, stems from a glitch in the state’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) database.
Individuals who obtained driver’s licenses before October 1996 and later received duplicates after 2004 were incorrectly listed as eligible for both state and federal elections.
Among them was a green card holder who, despite never being a U.S. citizen, had full voting rights.
The issue was first uncovered by a Maricopa County worker who identified a non-citizen registered to vote.
While the individual had never cast a ballot, the discovery has thrown the state’s voter registration system into turmoil, just weeks before ballots are to be sent out to military and overseas voters.
Fontes emphasized that the error spanned four administrations and was not deliberate, but conservative figures remain skeptical.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer swiftly filed a lawsuit against Fontes, seeking clarification on how to handle these voters.
Richer believes that those improperly registered should only be allowed to vote in federal elections unless they provide proof of citizenship.
Arizona operates a bifurcated election system, allowing residents who haven’t proven citizenship to vote in federal races but not in state or local contests. However, this system failure left nearly 100,000 voters incorrectly registered for both types of elections.
Former Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright underscored that non-citizens should not be on the voter rolls at all and proposed using the Department of Homeland Security’s database to verify citizenship.
America First Legal, a conservative group, had already filed a lawsuit against Arizona counties over this issue, and the recent discovery only heightens their concerns.
AFL Senior Counsel James Rogers argued that this situation validates their earlier claims, pointing to Fontes’ admission of the registration error.
As Arizona prepares for the November 2024 General Election, this error has intensified ongoing concerns about election integrity in the state.
Both Fontes and Governor Katie Hobbs, along with county officials like Richer, now face pressure to resolve the issue under close scrutiny from voters and advocacy groups alike.
