It’s that time of year again — manufactured outrage over bogus claims of “voter fraud” from the Arizona GOP — the political party that regularly employs a voter suppression specialist on its payroll, Nathan Sproul, investigated by numerous states for his illicit activities.
The latest bogus claim of “voter fraud” comes from Maricopa County GOP chairman A.J. LaFaro. He says he witnessed “voter fraud” when a Latino activist for the group Citizens for a Better Arizona dropped off a box full of completed ballots at the Maricopa County elections headquarters. Oh Noes!
LaFaro should have thanked this young volunteer for his civic-minded assistance to voters instead of trying to demonize him and criminalize election workers.
The Phoenix New Times reports, Viral Video of “Ballot Stuffing” in Phoenix Shows a Perfectly Legal Practice:
A YouTube video with more than 400,000 views purporting to show “ballot box stuffing” in Arizona actually shows a completely legal practice.
A.J. LaFaro, the chairman of the Maricopa County GOP, has been drumming up controversy by implying he witnessed voter fraud when an activist for the group Citizens for a Better Arizona dropped off some voters’ completed ballots at the Maricopa County elections headquarters, which has some right-wing blogs going nuts. [Just an average day.]
In reality, there was nothing wrong with what Citizens for a Better Arizona is doing by collecting early-voting ballots from voters who agree to have their completed ballot hand-delivered to elections officials to make sure it’s counted.
In fact, New Times has reported on Citizens for a Better Arizona delivering these ballots before. In 2012, CBA dropped off a couple hundred early ballots amid the successful recall of then-Senate President Russell Pearce, a Republican. You can see why LaFaro may not like the practice.
However, amid allegations of voter fraud, Citizens for a Better Arizona and other Latino get out the vote groups assembled outside the Maricopa County Elections headquarters in Phoenix yesterday to explain themselves and answer any questions the media might have.
“Instead of being praised, we’re being addressed in a very negative manner,” said CBA organizer Ramiro Luna. “Behind me are my canvassers. these are the heroes of the community, who go in day in and day out, canvassing under the Arizona heat, walking the pavement, encouraging the voters to come out and participate in their civic duty to vote, but instead of being praised, the extreme right has criminalized our canvassers.”
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The 2014 State of Arizona Elections Procedures Manual from the Secretary of State’s Office outlines this practice as something that’s clearly acceptable (emphasis added):
Early Voter’s Responsibilities
After voting the early ballot in accordance with the instructions provided by the County Recorder, the voter must:
- complete and sign the affidavit,
- place the voted ballot in the envelope provided for that purpose,
- securely seal it,
- deliver or mail the envelope to the appropriate County Recorder or officer in charge of elections, or
- deposit it at any polling place within the county of residence no later than 7:00 p.m. on election day, in order to be counted as valid.
After they have securely sealed the voted ballot inside the early ballot return envelope, voters may voluntarily give their voted early ballot to a person of their choice for delivery to the Recorder or a polling place. The designated person shall not tamper with the envelope or the ballot and shall not deliberately fail to deliver the ballot to the Recorder or a polling place within the voter’s county of residence.
Such delivery is also outlined in Arizona law.
HB 2305 sought to curtail this practice by political parties and voting rights organizations:
[But] these changes to election law caused so much outrage that voter-outreach and voter-rights groups from across the political spectrum were easily able to collect enough signatures to put the law on the ballot, where it very likely could have been overturned by the voters. After the groups collected the needed signatures, Republican lawmakers voted to overturn the law they had just passed the year before.
UPDATE: After this video went viral and news media reported A.J. LaFaro freaking out over Latinos voting, Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez, who has long been opposed to “ballot harvesting” by political parties and voting rights organizations, and who supported those provisions of HB 2305 that sought to curtail this practice, issued a Stranger Danger Advisory (.pdf) on Thursday, advising voters not to give their ballots to “strangers” they do not know.
This is not the first election in which she has issued such a warning.
I was advised by sources yesterday that F. Ann Rodriguez is “segregating” ballots dropped off in bulk by voting rights organizations (and presumably by the political parties that also collect ballots). The ballots are being processed for signature verification and counting, but the ballots received in bulk are being kept segregated.
Which raises some pertinent questions:
For what purpose? Are ballots being segregated in anticipation of litigation? Has there been a pre-litigation letter received requesting the preservation of evidence? If so, who is the requesting party? Disclose the letter.
Who directed or authorized the segregation of ballots? I have not known F. Ann Rodriguez to do something like this on her own. She is good at following orders. So is this a directive from the Secretary of State? Arizona Attorney General? The Pima County Attorney? Who? Disclose the directive.
And is the segregation of ballots occurring in other counties as well? It’s time to find out.
Our Election Integrity Committee volunteers should be checking on this in your county and confirm what is happening with ballots.
UPDATE: So when the GOP is collecting ballots it’s civic participation, but when Democrats collect ballots they are presumed to be criminals? Wonkette nails it. Arizona GOP Will Murder All Early Voting, Unless It Is With Mitt Romney:
LaFaro acknowledged that the Republican Party has sent GOTV canvassers to neighborhoods, but he claimed “it was on a much smaller scale compared with Democratic-leaning groups,” so the fact that his party’s efforts are less successful means Democrats are breaking the law, while Republicans are simply encouraging participation in our democratic process. LaFaro also insisted he wasn’t reassured that county election workers verify signatures on ballots.
“From the time those ballots are mailed to the time they’re turned back in, lots of things can happen,” he said. You know. Things.
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Thursday night, Mitt Romney made an appearance in Mesa, Arizona, to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Ducey. A graphic on a couple of conservative blogs, reproduced up top, urged attendees to “Bring your Early Ballots!” so GOP get-out-the-vote volunteers could collect them and get them to the county elections office. Our favorite little irony: On one rightwing blog, “Sonoran Alliance,” the Romney event notice, complete with invitation to bring those early ballots, appeared immediately above a piece complaining that “Ballot Stuffing is Legal in Arizona.”
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No mass political productions for Republicans. Just good old one-on-one meeting the candidates at the Mesa Convention Center, and remember to BRING YOUR EARLY BALLOTS!
What we wouldn’t give to be hanging out at the Maricopa County Elections Department with a video camera when those ballots are delivered.
Latinos are buzzing on Twitter about voting. I hope they vote in the same numbers.
Donna very funny..
Okay, we have idiots on our side, too. In past elections I, too, have carried bulk voting ballots (for both Democrats, Independents, Libertarians and Republicans) downtown for delivery. I can’t believe someone thought that was illegal. How embarrasing.
There’s a guy who comes into my neighborhood regularly to harvest ballots. He just takes them and God knows what he does with them then! He wears a blue outfit and drives a Jeep that says “US Mail” on it. Very suspicious!