Judge orders Arizona to release names of voters affected by glitch

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge in Arizona ordered its secretary of state to release a list of registered voters who due to a glitch may not have provided proof of citizenship that is required by state law, a court filing showed on Thursday.

A conservative organization had sued Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, earlier this month after his office declined a public records request.

A computer glitch had caused thousands in Arizona to be registered to vote without providing proof of citizenship. The secretary of state's office had said earlier those on the list may face threats or harassment if their names were released.

The number of individuals affected by this issue is about 218,000, according to America First Legal, which filed the lawsuit.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Arizona is one of the seven battleground states in a tight race, according to polls, between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump for Tuesday's U.S. elections.

It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in U.S. federal elections and state and private reviews have turned up very few instances of them doing so. Still, Trump and his allies have argued that large numbers of noncitizens could vote.

KEY QUOTES

"The court finds specifically that the information that the plaintiff requested in its public records request qualifies as a ‘public record’ subject to mandatory and prompt disclosure under the public records law because it has a ‘substantial nexus’ to the defendants’ official duties and activities in connection with the conduct and administration of elections in Arizona,” Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney said in his opinion.

Fontes' deputy communications director said his office is "reviewing our legal options," according to Courthouse News Service.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)