Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has already referred at least six voter intimidation complaints to the U.S Department of Justice.
Almost all of the incidents have taken place at ballot drop boxes in Maricopa County, which went for Joe Biden in 2020 and accounts for more than 60% of the state's registered voters. In some instances, vigilantes clad in tactical gear have been guarding drop boxes and taking photos of voters and their license plates. In others, voters casting their ballots at drop boxes have been photographed, filmed, and even tailed by another car as they left the parking lot.
CNN reports that two organizations—a retirees' association and a Latino voters group—have filed for a temporary restraining order in federal court against a group called Clean Elections USA and its founder Melody Jennings.
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The filing alleges the group is engaging in a "coordinated campaign of vigilante voter intimidation” that violates the Voting Rights Act and federal civil rights law.
“Defendants’ organized vigilante groups have already turned away voters. Under any circumstance, Defendants’ conduct would be objectively intimidating,” states the lawsuit filed by Voto Latino and Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans. “But, in the current charged political climate, Defendants’ actions carry with them exacerbated threats. There is no guarantee that the crowds that Defendants have mobilized and are continuing to stoke will remain peaceful.”
The alarming incidents have prompted Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone to step up security around drop boxes, according to CBS News.
"Every day, I'm dedicating a considerable amount of resources just to give people confidence that they can cast a vote safely, and that is absurd," Sheriff Penzone said Monday during a news conference. Penzone told reporters his office is working with the Justice Department to identify cases that qualify as voter intimidation. He has also referred two incidents to county prosecutors for potential criminal charges.
On Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland, asked about voter intimidation at Arizona ballot drop boxes, responded, "The Justice Department has an obligation to guarantee a free and fair vote by everyone who’s qualified to vote and will not permit voters to be intimidated."
But so far, the Department of Justice mostly appears to be ceding its authority to vigilante groups exacting their own version of 'justice' in the streets of Arizona.
CNN analyst Ron Brownstein has it exactly right: "If officials at all levels (up to the Justice Department) don’t respond firmly to voter intimidation, the one thing you can safely predict is that we will get a lot more of it- not just in the next few weeks but even more so in 2024."
Simply put, for elections in the United States to be “free and fair,” they must actually be free and fair.
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Today on The Brief, we speak with Way To Win’s co-founder and vice president, Jenifer Fernandez Ancona. Ancona comes in to discuss how grassroots progressive groups are spending money in the hopes of getting as many voters out for the midterm elections. She also talks about what campaign advertisements are effective and which are not. One thing is for sure, though: We are living in historic times, and what that means for these midterms cannot be easily predicted—so Get Out The Vote!
