The Democratic National Committee is looking to jump into a pair of Arizona election lawsuits Tuesday morning, another salvo in the sprawling legal battle over the country’s election procedures ahead of November.
The DNC and Arizona Democratic Party, with assistance from the Biden campaign, filed motions to intervene in two lawsuits filed in state court from GOP and third party groups this month, according to filings first shared with POLITICO. The lawsuits target the state’s Election Procedure Manual — which is designed to guide Arizona election officials in conducting and certifying elections. Republicans have challenged the manual several times, with RNC chair Ronna McDaniel arguing earlier this month that the document is “designed to undermine election integrity.”…
In an effort to invalidate the entire document, the groups argue that Fontes did not provide enough time for public comment on the proposed changes, which must be approved by the attorney general and governor, both of whom are also Democrats. They also zeroed in on specific provisions in the manual, including a rule which Republicans argue limits the public’s access to records containing a voter’s signature. And they targeted a provision that allows federal-only voters who haven’t proven their citizenship to vote in presidential elections.
The second GOP-led lawsuit attacks the manual’s instructions for operating ballot drop-off locations and preventing voter intimidation. The document notes that election officials may restrict activities that interfere with access and provides examples of intimidation or harassment.