Since taking office in 2020, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors have been accused of systematically eroding voter confidence in the electoral process. From failing printers at polling sites on Election Day, to failing to adequately notify voters of changes to registrations, and more, the group has delivered blow after blow to the public’s confidence through its incompetence, offering chaos instead of a reliable product and process.
It has gotten so bad at the county level that the Republican Party of Arizona is joining the Democrat Secretary of State in trying to stop Richer’s latest apparent effort to create controversy rather than seek solutions.
On Wednesday, the Republican Party of Arizona filed an amicus brief in the Arizona Supreme Court supporting the preservation of voter rights in the case involving nearly 100,000 voters whose registration statuses were jeopardized by a state government clerical error.
The AZGOP urged the court to protect voters from sudden disenfranchisement and argued that the requested relief from Petitioner Maricopa County Recorder Richer violates both state and federal law.
The AZGOP’s amicus brief notes the importance of adhering to the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which prohibits systematic voter removals within 90 days of a federal election, and argues that the removal of voters based on this clerical error violates due process and the U.S. Constitution. The AZGOP maintains that any action taken to correct these registration issues should not result in the disenfranchisement of voters who have long participated in Arizona’s elections without issue.
“Regardless of any outcome on this matter, all of these voters will receive a Federal Only ballot which permits them to vote for President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. Congress. The only question before us is if these voters, who have possessed an Arizona driver’s license since before October 1996, should be denied the right to vote for their representatives in the Arizona legislature, county, school board, and ballot measure contests,” said AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda.
“Our brief makes it clear: nearly 100,000 Arizona voters should not be penalized for a mistake made by the government. We will not stand by as voters are disenfranchised, especially so close to an election,” explained Swaboda. “The law requires that any changes to voter registration or eligibility must be handled carefully and in accordance with federal and state law. Rushing to disenfranchise voters now would not only be illegal but would severely undermine confidence in our elections.”
The AZGOP’s argues that the clerical error must be addressed, but that doing so in the final weeks before a major election would violate the NVRA and constitutional protections of voting rights.
Richer was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in the 2024 Republican Primary and many political observers view his latest legal move as a slap at the election process “on his way out the door.”
A judicial ruling is expected shortly due to the compressed election calendar.
