The Latest Discovery of Voter Registration Glitch in Arizona

Arizona’s Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, announced a shocking revelation on Monday – the number of registered voters affected by a 20-year-old coding glitch in state databases has more than doubled to 218,000. This means that one in every 20 registered voters in Arizona is impacted by this issue.

Just 10 days ago, a bipartisan solution in court secured voting rights for the original group of 98,000 affected voters. Now, the newly discovered 120,000 voters will also be allowed to cast a full ballot in the upcoming elections, including state, federal, and local races, as well as ballot measures.

This expansion in the number of voters affected was triggered by a public records request by 12News regarding voter registration information for a noncitizen residing in the Valley. It is possible that more voters could be impacted by this coding glitch.

These voters, typically aged between 45 and 60, are long-time Arizonans who acquired a driver’s license before 1996. Back then, they only had to affirm, under penalty of perjury, that they were U.S. citizens. However, a state law passed in 2004 now requires documented proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections.

The revelation of this glitch has raised concerns and questions about the integrity of the voter registration system in Arizona. With early voting set to begin on October 9, the timing of this discovery is significant and has reignited calls from Republicans to implement stricter voter registration measures.

While the Arizona Supreme Court has approved a solution for the affected voters to participate in the upcoming elections, the issue of properly verifying their citizenship status remains unresolved. Democrats and Republicans are at odds over how to address this issue and ensure the accuracy of voter rolls in the state.

As we approach the November elections, the impact of this voter registration glitch on the electoral process continues to be a point of contention and concern among Arizona residents.

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