Chief Justice Robert Brutinel /Capitol Media Services 2019 file photo by Howard Fischer
By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
Courts in Arizona are preparing for what could be a slew of last-minute Election Day lawsuits.
And the state’s chief prosecutor has staff on standby should problems develop at the polls.
But the real legal problems that develop could be about those activities in the gray area, both physically and legally.
Some of the issues are quite simple.
For example, it’s a crime for anyone who is not an election worker, an official party observer or an actual voter to remain within 75 feet of polling places. Hindering or disrupting voters by force, threats, menaces or bribery also is illegal.
And it remains illegal to bring someone else’s ballot to a polling place unless it’s a member of the same household or caregiver, though the future of that law now awaits a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
But then there are the kinds of things that come up suddenly and might demand the immediate attention of a judge.
