Federal judge rules group can monitor Arizona ballot drop boxes
A federal judge has ruled that a group monitoring ballot drop boxes can continue its monitoring of those boxes while a fight over whether they can be open continues in Arizona.
In a ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow found that the Libertarian Party can continue its monitoring of the drop boxes, as long as voters who have checked the boxes in advance sign a declaration that they are willing to be monitored.
The judge found that the Libertarian Party can, for now, continue to monitor the boxes “in light of the parties’ ongoing proceedings in Arizona” over the drop boxes and the “proportionality” of the monitoring process.
The Libertarian Party’s Executive Committee met Thursday morning to determine the next steps, including whether to seek a restraining order blocking the Arizona state’s Republican Secretary of State and Republican Attorney General from opening the boxes immediately.
If a restraining order isn’t granted, the Libertarian Party plans on opening the boxes Tuesday night at 6 p.m. PT, where there will be no observers to monitor the process.
Judge Snow also found that there was no constitutional or statutory basis for Arizona to require voters to sign a declaration that they agree to be monitored in order to access their ballot box.
The Libertarian Party has been monitoring the ballot drop boxes since 2010 and last year filed a lawsuit to block the boxes from being opened.
The Libertarian Party of Arizona is monitoring the ballot drop boxes in advance of Tuesday’s canvass of primary election ballots.
The Libertarian Party of Arizona is monitoring the ballot drop boxes in advance of Tuesday’s canvass of primary election ballots.
The Libertarian Party of Arizona is monitoring the ballot drop boxes in advance of Tuesday’s canvass of primary election ballots.
The Libertarian Party of Arizona is monitoring the ballot drop boxes in advance of Tuesday’s canvass of primary election ballots.
The Libertarian Party of Arizona is