Arizona Supreme Court Faces Criticism After Allowing Ranked-Choice Voting Measure Despite Signature Irregularities

Arizona’s Supreme Court is under fire after ruling that votes for a pro-ranked-choice voting measure will be counted, even though nearly 38,000 supporting signatures were duplicates. The ruling has sparked outrage from conservative groups and election integrity advocates who argue that the decision undermines voter trust.

The controversy surrounds Proposition 140, a proposed constitutional amendment that would introduce an open primary system and potentially ranked-choice voting (RCV) in Arizona. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with the process continuing until one candidate secures a majority.

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AZFEC), a conservative group, led a challenge against Prop 140, arguing that the discovery of thousands of duplicate signatures meant the measure fell short of the required number to qualify for the ballot. However, a lower court judge ruled that the signature irregularities were irrelevant since the ballots had already been printed.

In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, AZFEC President Scot Mussi expressed disappointment, stating that the initiative should never have been allowed on the ballot. “Special interest groups attempting to hijack Arizona’s election systems lacked the minimum number of signatures to qualify for the ballot,” Mussi said.

Critics, including Merissa Hamilton from the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, claimed that the ruling set a dangerous precedent. “What the AZ Supreme Court just affirmed is that as long as you can conceal your cheating long enough, you can fraud your way onto the ballot,” she posted on social media.

With the ruling in place, Arizonans will now have the chance to vote on Prop 140 in November, though many conservatives remain skeptical of ranked-choice voting’s potential impact on election outcomes.

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