State Officials Report Surge: 218,000 Voters Impacted by MVD Citizenship Verification ‘Glitch’

Arizona elections officials have discovered an additional 120,000 voters improperly registered due to a glitch in the state’s driver’s license database. This brings the total affected number to 218,000, with expectations for further increases as the investigation continues.

The issue, identified two weeks ago, involves approximately 98,000 voters tagged erroneously as having provided proof of citizenship. The error primarily affects individuals with pre-1996 licenses who later obtained replacements.

On Monday, the Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that the newly identified voters, who have been registered for decades, were not asked for citizenship proof due to a “data coding oversight.” Analysis reveals that the affected group includes 79,000 Republicans, 61,000 Democrats, and 76,000 from other parties.

Under Arizona law, voters without documented proof of citizenship can only cast ballots in federal elections, following a 2004 ballot measure demanding such proof for voter registration.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes acknowledged the error, stating that affected voters had been “mistakenly marked as having provided documentary proof.” Efforts are underway to rectify the issue, although election officials have announced plans to contact these voters only after the general election. Despite these complications, affected individuals will still be able to vote a complete ballot.

In response to the revelations, Governor Katie Hobbs has initiated an independent audit of the Motor Vehicle Division’s registration systems. This development comes just five weeks ahead of the November 5 election, notably with early voting scheduled to commence on October 9.

The Arizona Supreme Court previously determined on September 20 that voters caught in this database error are still entitled to vote fully. Fontes’ office reassured that this ruling remains in effect despite the newly reported numbers.

The irregularities were initially highlighted by a Maricopa County employee, according to reports from VoteBeat. Fontes criticized Proposition 200, the law requiring documentary proof for voter registration, labeling it as “extreme.”

He emphasized the importance of ensuring that citizens are not disenfranchised due to administrative errors, calling for better funding and system updates for the electoral process. The situation has sparked concern within the state government, especially following leaked audio discussions about the potential backlash from conspiracy theorists regarding non-citizen voting, which remains rare.