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The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office has referred a report of alleged voter intimidation to the U.S. Justice Department. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI |
License PhotoOct. 21 (UPI) — A formal complaint alleging potential ballot intimidation was referred to the U.S. Justice Department after a group of poll watchers in Arizona allegedly “approached and followed” a voter as he tried to put a ballot in a designated dropbox earlier this week.
The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. Monday in Maricopa County as the unidentified voter attempted to submit an early ballot at the Juvenile Justice Court in Mesa, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, which is asking the federal government to intervene in the case.
The voter immediately turned to authorities for help, writing in a formal complaint that a group of people was “filming and photographing my wife and I as we approached the dropbox.”
The small crew then allegedly chased the couple out of the parking lot while hurling accusations of ballot stuffing.
No other details were provided about the complaint.
Last week Maricopa County officials announced similar reports of intimidation tactics at the same location and other polling places as “dropbox monitors” have stepped up their presence with a little more than two weeks to go before Election Day.
A separate incident involved Clean Elections USA — an organization known to endorse conspiracy theories about voter fraud — which photographed voters outside Maricopa County election headquarters and drew a reprimand from the Maricopa County board of supervisors.
A spokesperson at the Justice Department confirmed to The New York Times that the agency had received the complaint but would not comment further.
Meanwhile, the office of Arizona attorney general Mark Brnovich issued a statement saying “Everyone should feel safe exercising their voting rights. If someone feels threatened, please contact local law enforcement right away.”
The Arizona governor’s race is perhaps one of the most closely-watched in the nation, with Republican candidate Kari Lake, who won the support of the former president by questioning the outcome of the 2020 election, facing Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs.
