Judge bars Arizona group from harassing and photographing voters, carrying guns, near drop boxes
A federal judge in Arizona on Tuesday enjoined the right-wing advocacy group Clean Elections USA from open-carrying firearms or wearing body armor within 250 feet of ballot drop boxes, taking photos or videos of voters, or interacting with them within 75 feet of a drop box. The injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, lasts through next week's midterm elections.
Liburdi had declined to limit Clean Elections USA's drop box activities last week in response to a request from the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino, saying he hadn't seen evidence of harm to voters. But testimony from hounded voters during a hearing on Tuesday, in a parallel case brought by the League of Women Voters of Arizona, appeared to persuade him that the box watchers had crossed the line into voter intimidation.
Liburdi also ruled that some individuals affiliated with Clean Elections USA must post messages on Truth Social correcting their previous false statements that voters can't drop off multiple ballots. He suggested some language, too: "It is not always illegal to deposit multiple ballots in a ballot drop box. It is legal to deposit the ballot of a family member, household member, or person for whom you are the caregiver."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Before Tuesday's hearing in Phoenix, Clean Elections USA had agreed to stop openly carrying guns or following or talking with voters near drop boxes. After the hearing, lawyers for the group said said they would contest Liburdi's ban on photographing and posting information about voters online and his order they stop "making false statements" about Arizona's ballot abuse law, arguing those parts of the injunction violate the poll monitors' First Amendment rights.
"Arizona is home to some of the most competitive, crucial races in the country, including those for governor and U.S. Senate," Politico reports. "It's also been ground zero for election conspiracies, with the Republican candidates for governor, U.S. Senate, secretary of state, and attorney general all having a history of election denial."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'The Hum': the real-life noise behind The Listeners
In The Spotlight Can some of us also hear the disturbing sound that plagues characters in the hit TV show – and where is it coming from?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Week Unwrapped: Are we any closer to identifying UFOs?
Podcast Plus, will deals with Tunisia and Kurdistan help Labour? And what next for the Wagner Group?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 - 22 November
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majority
Speed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published