The Superior Court of Arizona has ruled in favor of America First Legal (AFL) in its lawsuit against Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. The court ordered Secretary Fontes to release a list of individuals who registered to vote without providing proof of citizenship, as required by state law. This decision comes after it was revealed that approximately 218,000 individuals were affected due to a longstanding computer glitch.
Secretary Fontes had previously announced the issue, which allowed these registrations despite the legal requirement for proof of citizenship. AFL filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, also known as EZAZ.org, seeking access to this voter information under Arizona's Public Records Law.
The court's ruling mandates that Secretary Fontes produce the list by November 4, 2024, just before the U.S. presidential election. EZAZ.org plans to distribute this list to County Recorders across Arizona for verification purposes and share it with state legislative leaders and election committees.
During the trial, Secretary Fontes testified that his office only holds a partial list comprising 98,000 names because the complete data from the Arizona Motor Vehicles Division is pending. However, the court noted inconsistencies in his testimony regarding his knowledge and handling of these records.
James Rogers, Senior Counsel at America First Legal, emphasized the importance of transparency in restoring trust in Arizona's election system. "A majority of Arizonans no longer trust the election system of our state," he stated. He criticized Secretary Fontes for not promptly sharing crucial information with county recorders responsible for verifying voter citizenship.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about electoral integrity and transparency ahead of significant national elections.