The Arizona High Court on Thursday ordered the state’s Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to release a list of more than 200,000 names of individuals who registered to vote without providing proof of citizenship.
America First Legal (AFL) lawsuit On October 3, he asked Mr. Fontes and the Secretary of State’s Office to release the names of an estimated 218,000 people who failed to follow laws in battleground states that provide proof of citizenship while registering to vote. The law group’s senior counsel, James Rogers, reportedly criticized Fontes for not sharing the list of individuals “immediately” and said the move was meant to “restore transparency.” Said. release By AFL. (Related: Ballots in battleground state destroyed in mailbox fire, officials say)
“The majority of Arizonans no longer trust the state’s election system, and one reason for that is the lack of transparency from the state’s elected officials. “When we discovered a glitch that allowed 218,000 people to register without having to register, we should have immediately shared a list of affected individuals with Arizona’s county recorders, who are responsible for verifying the citizenship of voters,” Rogers said. Ta.
Arizona residents wait in line to vote early at the Indian Bend Wash Visitor Center on October 30, 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Instead, he jealously guarded that list and refused to share it with anyone. This lawsuit restores transparency and allows county recorders to do their jobs by verifying voters’ citizenship.” “It was intended to be,” Rogers continued. “It is unfortunate that Secretary Fontes has so aggressively opposed our common sense efforts to restore confidence in our state’s election system. This is something we should never have had to raise. It was a lawsuit.”
In September, Fontes revealed that an estimated 218,000 people were unable to register due to a “long-standing computer glitch.” However, according to a press release, he declined to release his name in response to a request from the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona (also known as EZAZ.org).
Fontes testified that his office only had about 98,000 names on file because the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles did not provide a complete list, but the court ruled that: did.[h]Testimony suggests that he lacked detailed knowledge of AZSOS’s work on this issue and the records it held relating to 218,000 people. ”
Once EZAZ.org receives the list of names, it will immediately release them to the county recorder, as well as the Arizona House and Senate Leadership and Elections Committees, according to a press release.
Fontes’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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