By Dustin Gardiner | The Arizona Republic
A surge of candidates running for public office in Arizona this year has brought an unprecedented wave of lawsuits seeking to remove people from the ballot.
So far, at least 20 aspiring officeholders have been knocked off the ticket.
In Maricopa County, which handles most ballot challenges, 52 lawsuits were filed in June to try to eliminate candidates over accusations that they don’t meet eligibility requirements.
Many of the lawsuits allege candidates didn’t submit enough valid signatures. In Arizona, candidates must collect signatures from registered voters to get on the ballot.
Three of the lawsuits involve accusations of widespread forgery, including more than 1,400 allegedly forged voter signatures. But most of the cases are based on claims that signatures are invalid for more technical reasons.
Other candidates were accused of not living in the districts they’re vying to represent.
Elections officials and political consultants said the number of ballot fights is highly unusual.
