Lawsuit filed against Maricopa County for illegal immigrants on voter rolls

In a significant legal move, the conservative watchdog group America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against Maricopa County, Arizona, alleging the county's failure to remove thousands of illegal immigrants from its voter rolls. The lawsuit, initiated on behalf of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and registered voter Yvonne Cahill, claims that the county is in direct violation of state law by not addressing the presence of illegal voters. AFL had previously given the county a one-week ultimatum to rectify the situation. According to the lawsuit, over 35,000 registered voters in Arizona had not provided proof of citizenship as of April 2024, which restricts their voting rights to federal races only. Arizona law mandates proof of citizenship for state and local elections, yet a U.S. Supreme Court ruling has determined that the federal voter registration form does not require such proof. The lawsuit highlights a discrepancy in Arizona's voter registration system, which distinguishes between those who provide proof of citizenship and those who do not. In response, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office defended their practices, stating that maintaining accurate voter rolls is a top priority. Since January 2021, the office has reportedly removed over 400,000 voters from the rolls. Maricopa County has been embroiled in election integrity controversies since the 2020 election, facing allegations of voter fraud and procedural irregularities, including a recent incident involving a temporary election worker caught stealing a key from a tabulation center.