Democrats challenge rule that could toss 'thousands' of Arizona votes
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[June 11, 2020]
By Trevor Hunnicutt
(Reuters) - Democrats on Wednesday
challenged an Arizona rule that they said could result in "thousands" of
mail-in ballots not being counted in what could be a critical U.S.
election battleground state.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and two allied groups sued the
Arizona Secretary of State to allow voters five business days after
federal elections to correct ballots that may otherwise have been
rejected for not having a signature. Currently, such ballots are not
counted.
"Arizona's flawed mail-in ballot signatures rule has led to ballots
being tossed aside and uncounted - and that's unacceptable," DNC Chair
Tom Perez said in a statement.
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Democrats regard Arizona as a potential lynchpin in the Nov. 3
elections, where several recent polls show their candidate, Joe Biden,
in a close race against Republican President Donald Trump there. The
southwestern state is also home to Senate, House of Representative and
state legislature elections regarded as competitive.
Democrats have been fighting a multi-front effort to expand voting
access in key states and have promoted the use of mail-in ballots during
the coronavirus pandemic.
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Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez speaks to the
audience at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California,
U.S., December 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake
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Republicans have criticized voting by mail as ripe for fraud, as
voters do not have to appear in person at a polling place. But Trump
has also voiced what Democrats believe is the prime motivation for
opposing vote by mail: It could lead to a higher voter participation
and hurt Republican candidates.
A spokeswoman for the Arizona Secretary of State said she could not
comment on ongoing litigation, while the Republican National
Committee did not immediately respond to an email.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in New York. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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