Judge Rules Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes Cannot Certify Election Without All County Certifications

Sep 28, 2024, 04:29 PM

A federal judge in Arizona, Michael Liburdi, has ruled that Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes cannot certify statewide election results if any counties withhold certification due to suspected fraud. In a detailed 50-page opinion, Judge Liburdi enjoined two provisions of Arizona's elections procedures manual: a prohibition on threatening or intimidating conduct, and a provision allowing the Secretary of State to canvass statewide election results without input from counties that refuse to certify. The court found that allowing the state to bypass county certifications would illegally disenfranchise voters. Instead, if a county balks at canvassing, the Secretary of State must seek alternative solutions such as filing a lawsuit or obtaining a court order.