Arizona election officials are facing backlash after it was revealed that nearly 100,000 voters may have been placed on the wrong voter list. Gov. Katie Hobbs and other top officials privately expressed concern that this mistake could bolster Republican claims about “illegal voting” in the state, even as Hobbs insisted these theories were “not true.”
Arizona requires proof of citizenship for state elections, but voters who fail to provide this documentation are listed as “federal-only” voters, limiting their participation to federal races. The discovery of noncitizens being mistakenly placed on the full-ballot voter roll has sparked fears that these voters may have cast ballots in state races, raising serious questions about election integrity.
During a private phone call, Hobbs warned that the issue could lead to conspiracy theories being reignited. “When this goes public,” she said, “it’s going to validate all of their theories about illegal voting.” However, no specifics were given about how many noncitizens might be involved, beyond one confirmed case.
The state’s handling of this issue has drawn criticism from election watchdogs. Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona has argued that the Department of Homeland Security should review the voter rolls to ensure noncitizens are removed. Despite these concerns, the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that these voters will remain on the rolls for the upcoming election.
With more than 11,000 “federal-only” voters participating in the 2020 election — a race decided by just over 10,000 votes — this issue is likely to fuel ongoing debates about election integrity in Arizona.
