State election officials in Arizona have identified an additional 120,000 voters who are improperly registered due to an error in the state’s driver’s license database, bringing the total affected to 218,000. This number could increase as officials continue to discover more voters who were not required to provide proof of citizenship when they registered.
The issue, uncovered two weeks ago, stems from a glitch in the Motor Vehicles Division (MVD) system. Around 98,000 voters who registered in the past 20 years were incorrectly marked as having provided proof of citizenship. On Monday, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office revealed that another 120,000 voters, many of whom have lived and voted in Arizona for decades, were also affected by a “data coding oversight” in the system.
These voters, all of whom have affirmed their U.S. citizenship, include 79,000 Republicans, 61,000 Democrats, and 76,000 listed as “other party,” according to state officials. Under Arizona law, passed in 2004, individuals who cannot provide proof of citizenship can only vote in federal elections.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes clarified that the affected voters had been “mistakenly marked as having provided documentary proof of citizenship,” and that efforts are underway to resolve the issue. Election officials plan to contact these voters after the upcoming general election, but they remain eligible to vote a full ballot in the meantime.
Governor Katie Hobbs has ordered an independent audit of the MVD’s registration system following the discovery. The timing is significant, with the Nov. 5 election just five weeks away and early voting set to begin on Oct. 9. Ballots for overseas and military voters have already been sent out.
Despite the growing number of affected voters, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 20 that those impacted can still vote a full ballot. This decision remains in place, according to Fontes’ office.
The issue was first brought to light by an employee from Maricopa County, according to VoteBeat. Fontes criticized Proposition 200, the law that requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, calling it an “extreme law” that addresses a problem that is “vanishingly rare.”
“These registrants have met the same legal standard as every other American who registers to vote: swearing under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens,” Fontes said. “We can’t risk denying actual citizens the right to vote due to an error beyond their control.”
The discovery coincides with leaked audio of Fontes, Gov. Hobbs, and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, which reveals concerns over how conspiracy theorists might react to the news. Despite these concerns, instances of non-citizens voting remain extremely rare.