Deadline for document publication Maricopa County The slate of electors is on Nov. 4, with less than 24 hours until in-person voting begins on Election Day.

State officials have previously identified a significant problem in Arizona’s voter registration retention, affecting people who received driver’s licenses before October 1996 and registered to vote after February 2004.

More than 218,000 registrants in the state’s database were classified as having full ballot access without being certified as citizens; This alarmed election integrity advocates and led to an immediate lawsuit. Only 98,000 names were disclosed in Thursday’s decision because Fontes’ office maintains it does not yet have a complete list.

The Arizona Strong Communities Foundation filed a public records request last month requesting a complete list of affected voters. However, Fontes stated that it would be impossible to fulfill the request before Election Day due to concerns about the accuracy of the list and the safety of the voters involved.

in it 13-page decisionJudge Scott Blaney ruled that Fontes failed to prove that disclosing the records would violate his privacy rights or confidentiality. The judge also mandated the release of any datasets or communications regarding affected voters.

The court ordered the Strong Communities Foundation not to contact any individuals on the list or share personal information with third parties until after November 6.

“Prior to November 6, 2024, Plaintiff and its staff, members, volunteers, and affiliates may not knowingly exchange with or communicate with any Affected Voter,” Blaney instructed.

Fontes’ office is reviewing the decision and considering appeal options. based on to Washington Post.

America First Legal, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Foundation for Strong Communities, praised the decision following “a lack of transparency from our state’s election officials.”

“When Secretary Fontes discovered the glitch that allowed 218,000 people to register without providing proof of citizenship, he should have immediately shared the list of affected individuals with Arizona county registrars, who are responsible for verifying voters’ citizenship. Instead he jealously guarded the list and refused to share it with anyone,” said AFL senior adviser James Rogers.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Arizona Supreme Court prejudged About 98,000 voters who were improperly registered will be allowed to vote in full in the 2024 election, meaning the decision will not deny anyone in that group access to the polls.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said that “the vast majority of these voters are U.S. citizens who can provide documented proof of citizenship,” while emphasizing that all Arizona voters must certify their citizenship under penalty of perjury.