Lawsuit Claims More Than 2,000 Arizonians’ Votes Weren’t Counted in Nov. 2016 Election

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A consumer has filed suit against Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan, Maricopa County, and the county’s recorder over claims that more than 2,000 Arizonians were unlawfully barred from voting in the November 2016 Election.

The suit points out that in 2016, the 29th day before the November election—the statutory deadline to register to vote—fell on October 10, 2016, Columbus Day. Despite government offices being closed for the holiday, defendant Reagan set the voter registration deadline as October 10, the case claims.

The plaintiff says he and over 2,000 other Arizona residents registered to vote on October 11, when government offices had reopened. According to the lawsuit, the man was never informed that he would be ineligible to vote in the November election and was even sent a Voter Identification Card a few days after registering. When it came time to vote, however, the plaintiff was told that his name was not on the list of eligible voters and that he must fill out a provisional ballot, the case alleges. The man’s vote was supposedly “verified” but never counted, the suit says, along with the many others who registered to vote on October 11.

On November 3, the lawsuit continues, an Arizona District Judge issued an order stating that “the Secretary erred in her application of [state law]” and that her October 10 deadline violated Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act. He reportedly concluded that October 11 was the correct registration deadline for the November election.

The lawsuit concludes that the defendants’ refusal to count the plaintiff’s and proposed class members’ ballots violated state and federal law. Notably, the plaintiff claims he was never informed that his vote was not counted and first learned of the defendants’ allegedly unlawful actions in 2017.