A Maricopa County judge has recently dismissed a GOP lawsuit challenging Arizona's election procedures manual, effectively allowing the state to continue using the established guide for upcoming elections. This legal move puts an end to one of the three Republican efforts to invalidate parts of the manual. The lawsuit, filed by the Republican National Committee, the Republican Party of Arizona, and the Yavapai County Republican Party, argued that the public comment period for the elections manual was insufficient, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
The judge's ruling held that Adrian Fontes, Secretary of State and target of the lawsuit, acted within legal boundaries when crafting the manual. The GOP entities have to yet respond to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit's dismissal. Fontes's office, however, defended the integrity of the elections manual, saying "We used this manual to effectively run the presidential preference election in March and will continue using the EPM to ensure fair elections in the upcoming primary and general" elections, according to U.S. News.
While this lawsuit has been concluded, two others continue to challenge the state's elections manual. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has pinpointed issues relating to ballot drop-off locations and potential voter intimidation. Top Republican lawmakers, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, and House Speaker Ben Toma are pursuing another suit, alleging conflicts between the manual and state law.
