State Watch

Arizona asks DOJ to investigate possible voter intimidation 

FILE - A person drops off a mail-in ballot at an election ballot return box. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

The Arizona secretary of state has referred a report of possible voter intimidation to the Justice Department and the state’s attorney general for investigation. 

An Arizona voter attempting to cast their ballot at an early voting drop box reported they were “approached and followed by a group of individuals,” Sophia Solis, a spokesperson for the secretary of state, told The Hill on Thursday.  

The voter was reportedly attempting to cast their ballot at the Juvenile Justice Court drop box location in Arizona’s Maricopa County.

The state’s largest county, Maricopa came into the national spotlight amid controversy over the 2020 election, when the Arizona Senate contracted the firm Cyber Ninjas to run an audit of the results and a hand recount confirmed President Biden’s victory in the state.  

The office of Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) talked to the voter who lodged the report, flagged the matter to Maricopa County and referred the report to the Justice Department and the office of the Arizona attorney general, according to Solis.  

Hobbs is running for governor of Arizona in this year’s midterms, up against Republican Kari Lake in a tight race

The Justice Department confirmed receipt of Arizona’s referral, but declined to comment further. The Hill has also reached out to the office of the Arizona attorney general.

Updated on Monday, Oct. 24 at 10:32 a.m.