Court Sides With Trump-Aligned Group To Secure List Of Voters Lacking Citizenship Proof
An Arizona court recently ruled in favor of a legal organization associated with former President Donald Trump, ordering Maricopa County to release a list of 218,000 voters lacking proof of citizenship.
The Superior Court of Arizona directed Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) to supply this list to America First Legal (AFL) by noon on Monday, November 4, 2024.
The court’s decision includes a mandate to provide the initial list of approximately 98,000 voters identified in Richer v. Fontes who were marked without documented proof of citizenship.
Additionally, it requires Fontes to release other datasets or information from the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) that contains personal details about these voters.
Earlier this month, AFL filed a lawsuit after the secretary of state’s office reported that around 120,000 individuals were mistakenly added to voter rolls as verified citizens, despite lacking proof. The affected group includes approximately 79,000 Republicans, 61,000 Democrats, and 76,000 from other affiliations.
This issue stems from Arizona’s bifurcated voting system, which permits individuals with citizenship proof to vote in all elections, while those without proof are restricted to federal elections. This distinction has allowed certain voters to cast ballots without verifying citizenship status.
AFL argued that Secretary Fontes improperly withheld the list of voters lacking citizenship proof, despite public records requests and legal requirements for county offices to investigate such registrations. AFL senior counsel James Rogers criticized the lack of transparency, stating, “A majority of Arizonans no longer trust the election system of our state.”
He added that Fontes should have immediately shared the list with local officials responsible for verifying voter eligibility. “This suit was about restoring transparency and ensuring that county recorders can do their jobs by verifying the citizenship of voters,” Rogers noted.
In Arizona’s closely watched 2024 election landscape, recent polling shows former President Trump leading in the presidential race, while Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is pulling ahead of Kari Lake in the Senate race.
The Noble Predictive Insights poll, with a ±3.5% margin of error, highlights the importance of independent voters and Arizona’s role as a key battleground state. Mike Noble, NPI’s founder, observed, “This election will hinge on which candidates can best capture the Independent and undecided voters who can tip the scales.” Noble added, “Arizona is unique—home to a strong MAGA base, McCain moderates, loyal Democrats, and a substantial number of swing voters.”