Arizona Navajo Nation Mail-in Ballot Challenge

Lawsuit filed by individual members of the Navajo Nation challenging Arizona’s ballot receipt deadline requiring mail-in ballots to be received (not postmarked) by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. The complaint alleges that this requirement burdens the right to vote for those, such as voters of the Navajo Nation, that rely on U.S. Postal Service to cast their ballots. The district court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction and declined to extend the ballot receipt deadline, finding that plaintiffs had not demonstrated a “disparate burden” on Navajo members living on-reservation, despite acknowledging that access to mail and other forms of voting may be more difficult for Navajo members. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision and the case was dismissed.

Last updated: August 18, 2021 4:02 pm EST