Voter rights groups have filed an emergency petition with the Arizona Supreme Court to request an extension of the deadline for voters to address issues with their mail-in ballots. The petition comes in response to delays in both vote counting and notifying voters about ballot problems.
The groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Campaign Legal Center, are seeking an extension of up to four days beyond the original 5 p.m. Sunday deadline for voters to rectify any ballot issues after being notified.
The petition argues that a significant number of Arizona voters could face disenfranchisement without proper notice or the opportunity to correct ballot defects. It highlights that due to delays in processing, election officials have not yet identified defective ballots or informed voters about the need for corrections.
Arizona law mandates that voters who cast their ballots by mail should receive notification of any problems, such as signature discrepancies, and be given a chance to remedy them through a process known as 'curing.'
As of Friday evening, over 250,000 mail-in ballots in Arizona, primarily concentrated in Maricopa County, had not undergone signature verification. Additionally, an estimated 200,000 early ballots were still pending processing as of Saturday, according to data from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office website.
Officials from Maricopa County have not yet provided a response to requests for comment on the matter.
