Arizona: Protections Against Intimidation of Voters and Election Workers

Voters in Arizona have the right to vote free from intimidation under federal and state law.footnote1_xQSXiYZ-53ggvr9whol15-qb0IXq1UAs1p-qC4hAeA_izFW3SujG8qM1 See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. §§ 241, 594; 52 U.S.C. § 10101(b); Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–1013. Federal law broadly prohibits intimidation, threats, or coercion throughout every stage of the election process;footnote1_QY2dUiYlF4pPLu3rzJo7Dn6zjiQ5N6UWuUWFNXebnLM_dOSBJQopXrIv1 See U.S. Department of Justice, Voting Rights Fact Sheet (Sept. 2024), https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1366636/dl (summarizing federal laws that protect against intimidation). more information on the federal protections that apply to all states can be found here. In addition, the following actions are specifically prohibited by Arizona law:

• Hindering the voting of others.footnote2_AQFgpl2kmJ5M5-YTh5hsfwjb4RuzmEhkCZqc1zEpg_x5ZzIGiurrXh2 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–1017(A)(6).
• Removing or destroying materials that help a voter cast their ballot.footnote3_YiN2OZRH9DJic5SB0KKxMUr6pVK2Ra51-NEpfOhxO8_suOgUcUh8weE3 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–1017(A)(5).
• Attempting to convince a voter to vote for or against anything on the ballot within 75 feet of a polling place.footnote4_iRi7gJyIAo-ciiUZ-TXtp9WSnhrt0aRMa3dKDsJgbJw_lPvpzaAW7qYp4 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–1017(A)(3).
• Bringing weapons into a polling place or within 75 feet of a polling place entrance, even if the voter is licensed to carry such weapons. Military and on-duty peace officers acting in performance of their official duties are excepted.footnote5_VsQaNadr1JOtugXHkk4xzQnt6cSf-afHvX5witgW5A_uIzbK2VeUMMy5 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13–3102(A)(11), (C).

The below addresses the laws that serve as guardrails against specific threats of intimidation.

Voter Challenges

Although Arizona law permits any properly registered voter to challenge another voter’s eligibility,footnote6_Z41GVVdoFiPkkDXKp6tAw3P7xifNWRaFDAG1RcfBuc_i0RnwLgnfOH96 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–591. state law also provides for some guardrails:

• Arizona law requires that a challenger must show that a voter is not eligible by clear and convincing evidence.footnote7_WcTGw9DHwd6wVISTXtakLsfBzMQ3RIDNt5mV0oWCko_nSdlR7OVcxkC7 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, December 30, 2023, 194, http://apps.azsos.gov/election/files/epm/2023/EPM_20231231_Final_Edits_to_Cal_1_11_2024.pdf.
• Challenges at a polling place must be made only to poll workers. No challenger may confront or question a voter directly.
• Any challenges based at all on race, national origin, disability, language, or religion may constitute voter intimidation.footnote8_8s0-cyCxfAEq9rxG4816tEyrMRwYC1jABJcox9qdbVE_s3eDNOGQe8Il8 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 182–83.
• Repeated frivolous challenges, or those that are made to harass and intimidate voters, may amount to prohibited voter intimidation, and the challenger may be removed from the polling place.footnote9_8s0-cyCxfAEq9rxG4816tEyrMRwYC1jABJcox9qdbVE_vh7EcjTEGHiA9 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 182–83.

Arizona law requires a high burden of proof for challenges to be sustained:

• Challengers must have clear and convincing evidence that the challenged voter is ineligible to vote.footnote10_V221R2E7s2-zB-0gR5tWwwo7lu9Ii9-D0j8k2ctfSaw_u7ov5GV8lhHn10 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–121.01(B). The challenge is assessed promptly at the voting location by a board made up of one election inspector and two election judges.footnote11_ZVlTwDV1v8hvbdP1SG3MfXhRugQkor5avfKqYHQP3AI_hnNehnH9Clxg11 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 195.
• Challenged voters may vote a regular ballot if they appear to be registered and take an oath and if the majority of the board finds the challenge to be invalid.footnote12_CkgS0D-HyYfVMvNhSIw8hRYtrQoq9Tf3aoPQPeaWXoE_esKqyn8XON3012 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–592.
• If the majority of the board finds the challenge to be valid or if a challenged voter does not wish to take the prescribed oath or answer the inspector’s questions, the voter may still cast a provisional ballot.footnote13_CkgS0D-HyYfVMvNhSIw8hRYtrQoq9Tf3aoPQPeaWXoE_b4O01iLdafvV13 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–592.

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) provides additional safeguards to protect voters from mass challenges before an election:

• The NVRA expressly recognizes that National Change of Address information is not sufficient on its own to serve as the basis for canceling a voter’s registration.footnote14_PLl6vSUctQ9PTGM3shI44UyFWwX0znRa3QTtakW9uDg_b5Cxr3fAe1wF14 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(1)(B).
• The NVRA prohibits the systematic removal of voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election.footnote15_gMU4pKaaGGtR0djXke9owYAHAATVZbmZt7GBXP2Bc7Y_mhm8fTbUBC2i15 52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(2)(A).

The Brennan Center and All Voting Is Local published a detailed resource on the limits on voter eligibility challenges in Arizona here.

Intimidation of Poll Workers and Election Officials

In addition to federal protections against the intimidation of election workers, interfering with the work of an election worker in any manner is a felony in Arizona.footnote16_cclH1PmUhjOVrjrdScpf2nnbx0ar7m15fV0ttLkwksY_mJiTtK4YasBo16 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–1004(A). It is also a misdemeanor to use or threaten to use violence or physical force to obstruct any public servant in performing a governmental function.footnote17_43Sb3a7P6E-hA1mWHuOJlvRpryNV1aiy3oEP4M273I_g9d9dlmXLuNR17 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13–2402.

Voter Intimidation by Poll Workers

The Brennan Center and All Voting is Local published a detailed resource on the rules and constraints for Arizona poll workers here.

Intimidation by Poll Watchers

In addition to Arizona’s voter intimidation laws detailed above, the state places limits on who may serve as poll watchers and what they may do:footnote18_RCh90JznkOMH5x17OrLNnKGjHMwqrfLwdWc6gSJ6d-I_fy2AmxTTq9su18 Note that watchers in Arizona are referred to as “challengers” in state statute, and “observers” in Department of State guidance. 

• Observers must be appointed by the county chairman of each political party, and each political party represented on the ballot may only appoint one representative unless the number of representatives is otherwise mutually agreed upon by the parties.footnote19_GB3H18yu4pN1Fi51lTmMTq61lTuzRO7Dg6IUi-heePY_sdeIM9jWn7OL19 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–590(A), (C).
• All observers must obtain credentials.footnote20_gVTFis5IFGwMKf-0DIbyyU7s0A5i09QQLRe2mZs920_eJv26CSIgFNe20 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 139.
• No observer may enter a voting booth except to mark their own ballot.footnote21_Aqjz10fHlaCyUaZNonlz8amMYcQ1dwMnE9CHJkdY2w_eul0LwWJ4lJp21 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–590(B).
• Observers at a central counting place are given identifying badges.footnote22_U2tndHlrzDrdjdZj03GO1Lg3tntV643RxBJCGZQzqfo_hMONJDoQQw3I22 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 140.
• Observers may not wear, carry, or display any materials that express support for or opposition to any political entity.footnote23_oy9fHOJWpvZH2yfMNZiAWO6YntnPbmffi9Lz3STGo_l3U9O3SMwOuK23 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–515(F).

Election officials may remove from a polling place any watcher who interferes with the election process.footnote24_gVTFis5IFGwMKf-0DIbyyU7s0A5i09QQLRe2mZs920_tVIZaHOYXVJS24 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 139.

The Brennan Center and All Voting Is Local published a detailed resource on the rules and constraints on Arizona poll watchers here.

State and Local Law Enforcement

Inspectors or marshals may contact law enforcement to preserve order or remove disruptive persons from polling places; however, they must use sound judgment before doing so.footnote25_Cx0ps3uTyJutoXHba9HNXDbFgQE202lUTyrujJvHVo_yUi0mac0owx825 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 182.

Guns at Polling Places

Private citizens are prohibited from bringing weapons into polling places or within 75 feet of a polling place, even if the voter is licensed to carry such weapons.footnote26_EDycYfAHOQGiRY26mGiPVyM2RGPfJ8JXWQHfKhhrGo_cZoRJqt3xOtg26 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13–3102(A)(11). Military and on-duty peace officers acting in performance of their official duties are excepted.footnote27_ZUpLHAIFxH5MUWOrcWxEQhCVWJ-OpHeUlzl61Ci4hE_e7JToiUeFBIP27 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13–3102(C). Openly carrying a firearm outside the 75-foot limit may constitute intimidation.footnote28_Cx0ps3uTyJutoXHba9HNXDbFgQE202lUTyrujJvHVo_niseA9RY9HQt28 Arizona Department of State, State of Arizona 2023 Election Procedures Manual, 182. Therefore, private citizen possession of a firearm in or around a polling place should be treated as intimidation.

Even at locations where firearms are not expressly prohibited, firearm carry may constitute unlawful intimidation. Such conduct may consist of carrying a visible firearm near a polling location or at a drop box or vote-counting site, displaying a concealed firearm during a discussion or argument with a voter or election worker, or approaching a voter or election worker while displaying a firearm.

Door-to-Door Intimidation

Arizona and federal law prohibit canvassing efforts that are used to intimidate voters.footnote29_3OU4ewVT8jZbrFZ8Q6cDLBDko0aJu83brUNuzLuSA_gHp0wSHjH2TM29 18 U.S.C. §§ 594, 241; Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 16–1013. Moreover, in response to a 2021 proposal in Arizona to conduct a door-to-door canvass of voters to investigate voter eligibility, the Department of Justice sent a letter to the Arizona senate specifically warning that such a system may constitute unlawful voter intimidation under federal law. Any voter who receives a visit from a privately organized canvassing group does not have to answer any questions and should report any incidents of intimidation to their local officials.