The Arizona Board of Elections has reported at least 18 cases of voter intimidation to the Justice Department. While one complaint pertains to harassment of election officials, the other gives an account of people being harassed at polling stations. “Maricopa County, home to 60% of Arizona voters, is void in its battle for electoral integrity and voter intimidation,” said an MSNBC report.
Several groups of voters report that they feel intimidated when they vote early. Some said they were being watched through binoculars or that their license plates and cars were photographed by people claiming to be under “electoral security”.
In Texas, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a lawsuit Monday accusing Republican-appointed election workers of intimidating and discriminating black voters during early voting.
On Tuesday, the organization announced the launch of a measure to tackle voter intimidation as Americans head to polls across the country.
“With our democracy hanging in the balance, this election is too important to ignore,” NAACP CEO and President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “For those who haven’t voted yet, this is the last day to come out and make sure your voice is heard.”
The NAACP said that “recruited and trained legal professionals” will vote through the Voter Incident Report Form to track any reports of voter suppression. ,
This latest move by the NAACP comes as concerns of intimidation of voters have increased in the days leading up to the election day.
Several states have issued precautionary notices and made efforts to ensure that intimidation attempts do not undermine public confidence in the electoral system.
Last week a federal judge in Arizona ordered a temporary ban on poll watchers and also ordered that an armed group from Clean Election USA must stay at least 250 feet from polling places.
The order comes after several complaints that armed men wearing masks were threatening voters for the polls.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Riffensperger also pushed for the implementation of a text alert system in the state. Polling workers can report threats to state officials at the time of voting.
Georgia recently set an all-time record for the most votes cast before election day, despite concerns about voter suppression, which claimed by top Democrats that Georgia’s voting laws were similar to Jim Crow 2.0. .
