Controversy arose in Arizona on Friday as the state’s top court ruled that nearly 98,000 voters whose citizenship documents had not been confirmed can vote in all races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\u00a0Arizona Supreme Court’s decision came after a \u201ccoding oversight\u201d in the state’s election software. Secretary of State\u00a0Adrian Fontes\u00a0(D) maintained that \u201cno illegal activity\u201d had occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ruling has sparked debate in the critical swing state, with Fox News reporting heightened scrutiny over the potential impact of these votes in the upcoming election:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe database error called into question the citizenship status of 100,000 registered Arizona voters, affecting individuals who obtained their driver’s licenses before October 1996, and subsequently received duplicates before registering to vote after 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fontes and Stephen Richer, the Republican Maricopa County<\/a> recorder, disagreed on what status the voters should hold following the \u201ccoding oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was discovered not because somebody was voting illegally and not because somebody was attempting to vote illegally, as far as we can tell,\u201d Fontes said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. \u201cAnd this was basic voter roll maintenance, and it showed us that there is this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Richer filed a special action Tuesday asking the state Supreme Court to settle the question.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Richer expressed concern over the ruling, stating on X: \u201cIt is my position that these registrants have not satisfied Arizona’s documented proof of citizenship law, and therefore can only vote a \u2018FED ONLY’ ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arizona’s proof of citizenship law requires voters to provide documentation to participate in local and state elections, adding a layer of complexity to the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article originally appeared on American Liberty News<\/a>. It is republished with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n