Justice Department to 'monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws' in Maricopa County primary election

The Justice Department will monitor voting in Maricopa County during Tuesday's primary in Arizona, Just the News reported. This comes after several disputes have erupted in the county during previous elections.

Maricopa County has seen its share of legal battles in the aftermath of its elections, including the 2020 presidential election. As the swing state's largest county, which includes the city of Phoenix, it holds a pivotal role in elections.

In a news release Monday, the Justice Department said it would "monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws" during Tuesday's election. "The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot," the news release added.

"The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country." The news release said the Justice Department will monitor compliance with all federal election laws.

A History of Problems

Perhaps because of its prominent spot in a battleground state, Maricopa County has been at the center of several disputes recently. However, accusations about election integrity bubbled over in 2022.

During the state's gubernatorial election, printers in several precincts in the county failed on Election Day, Fox News reported. For embattled GOP candidate Kari Lake, this glitch was a sign that things weren't on the up and up.

After doing an investigation, officials found that there was nothing more to it than old machines using thicker paper than usual. Lake disputed that outcome as yet another coverup, but the claims were never vindicated.

"Maricopa County has released the results of their internal investigation & has SHOCKINGLY found themselves not guilty of any crime. We told you this was a farce," Lake's campaign account on X, formerly Twitter, wrote after the investigation wrapped up in 2023.

"These people don't think your vote or your opinion matters. And anyone who takes the results of this ‘investigation’ seriously is part of the problem."

The Possibilities

Although there has not been any proof of widespread voter fraud, it's clearly a possibility. As CNN reported, a temporary poll worker at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center was arrested for stealing security equipment last month.

Walter Ringfield allegedly stole the keys and a security fob used for tabulating votes by swiping them from a nearby desk. Authorities say the pieces he had were not enough on their own to alter the election results.

The Arizona secretary of state’s office attempted to spin Ringfield's capture as proof that elections are to be trusted. "Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process," a statement said.

"While this event is unwelcome, it speaks the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona’s election systems," the statement added. Of course, it doesn't address what would have happened if the suspect hadn't been caught.

Election security is a major issue as people lose trust in the system. It is unclear whether adding government officials will do anything to quell those fears, unfortunately.