Can Arizona hold another primary?
As you have probably heard, Arizona greatly reduced the number of polling stations since it was made possible following the weakening of the Voting Rights Act by supreme court decision in 2013. In Maricopa County, for example, the number of polling stations were reduced from 200 (in 2012) to 60 (in 2016), resulting in 5-hour lines.
Apparently, the mayor of Phoenix has called for federal proble. But what can be done at this point? Could the federal government step in if there is sufficient evidence to show that voters were unable to vote? Having to face hours-long lines to vote means that many voters were unable to vote. This is a serious threat to a democracy. Illegal disfranchisement seems to be a legitimate enough to invalidate Arizona’s primary results. Are there any legal precedents here?
Anyone from Arizona here on Fluther? What was your experience?
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10 Answers
I’m not a election laws expert, but NOTHING after the fact for polling.
A “Re-do” isn’t something for a scheduled primary.
I am not aware that any election in the US has ever been invalidated for any reason. I also am no expert. I’m just a knowledgeable citizen.
If the people of Arizona are displeased, I suggest they elect new local and state officials.
I doubt anything can or will be done.
Wasn’t there a vote in 2014? Did nobody notice the problem then?
I guess we will just have to see how the numbers roll out and calculate if AZ even made a difference to the result. If it wouldn’t have affected the final outcome then the country can feel better about it.
The article says something about going to 5 different polling places. Can a resident there go to any polling place in the county to vote? I always go to the one assigned to me. I never thought to try a different location except for early voting.
It’s possible they had more than necessary in the county previously. It looks like cut back an incredible amount though. Why not just reduce it by 20 or 30 locations? Some sort of middle ground. It looks like it might be a district heavy in democrats. Trying to stop democrats from voting is more important (to republicans) in November than now. Ironically, if they purposely were trying to screw democrats, this might very well backfire, because it might get fixed by November when it’s actually democrats against republicans.
It is what the people of Arizina and the representatives they elected wanted.. Last thing the people (white, working, Republican) want is another election.
But no, no do overs in elections.
I vote in a county in Illinois that ran out of ballots. Not a few here, a few there, but nearly every county ran out. In the neighborhood of 3500 people were turned away at the polls.
A judge granted a mandatory injunction that gave people 5 additional days to vote, from 7:30 to 5:30 each day. You have to sign an affidavit that you tried to vote and couldn’t.
I don’t know why that wouldn’t be a possibility in Arizona. In Illinois the State’s Attorney filed against the county for the extension.
If the citizens are unhappy, they should contact their local politicians and state politicians and speak up. If they don’t speak up, nothing will change. They need to hold the politicians accountable and make sure they (the politicians) know that if the citizens don’t see some positive change, they (the politicians) will not be re-elected next time.
It wouldn’t make a difference. Outcome would be the same.
@ibstubro Was this in the primaries or November?
Last week, @dxs.
Illinois primary, 3–15-16.
People now have until 3–25 to vote if they sign a paper saying they were turned away.
I had heard it was over 7300 voters, but I believe it was about ½ that. There was even a local election that had been conceded, now re-opened.
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