Arizona Right-Wing Group Withdraws Maricopa County Election Procedures Lawsuit
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, a mere 16 days after its lawsuit was filed, former Trump advisor Stephen Miller’s right-wing legal group voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit challenging Maricopa County’s election procedures.
The lawsuit, filed on Feb. 6, by America First Legal Foundation on behalf of Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, Inc. and a Maricopa County resident against the county challenged a laundry list of election procedures in the county.
The lawsuit alleged that Maricopa County — the fourth most populous county in the country — has failed to properly administer elections “for years.” The plaintiffs challenged the county’s signature verification, chain of custody, vote center, voter registration cancellation, ballot cure and drop box policies.
Maricopa County has long been a right wing target, which is not a coincidence as the county is home to the highest number of registered Democrats and is the most populous county in the state. Much of the complaint was almost entirely devoted to lamenting the perceived failures of the county’s election administration.
“The Defendants’ administration of elections in Maricopa County has been sloppy, shoddy, and rife with mistakes. Their mismanagement has made Maricopa County—and the entire State of Arizona—the laughingstock of the nation. The Defendants’ mistakes and unlawful conduct are so numerous that it is beyond the scope of one single lawsuit to correct. This complaint merely identifies the most egregious of the legions of errors and illegalities and seeks judicial remedy to correct them” the complaint read. Pro-voting parties quickly intervened to defend Arizona election administration.
Today, the right-wing group voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit. This is a victory for Arizona voters whose voting rights are no longer threatened by this lawsuit. Six other anti-voting lawsuits that target election administration are still ongoing in the state. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their case without prejudice meaning they could file a new lawsuit bringing similar claims.