The recent failed election process for the Democratic Primary in Arizona suggests the possibility of either massive computer or user error or deliberate sabotage of voter databases. I am writing to request a federal investigation be conducted immediately into the extent and causes of the errors in the voter databases and that corrective action be taken as soon as any preliminary results have been produced. I would also recommend prosecution of anyone found responsible for database sabotage.
Aside from the issues with the voter databases, there can be no question that the state of Arizona, and specifically Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, is deliberately limiting the ability for even registered, confirmed voters to vote. As I'm sure you've heard at this point, as noted in The Nation, "election officials in Phoenix’s Maricopa County...reduced the number of polling places by 70 percent from 2012 to 2016, from 200 to just 60—one polling place per every 21,000 voters." This resulted in voting lines that were so long that the sheer waiting time prevented numerous people from being able to vote, and for those who actually were able to wait, numerous others found that their voting registration had been erroneously changed or misrecorded such that they could not even officially vote and at best could only file a "provisional ballot" that wouldn't be counted in the election results.
The long lines may have disproportionately affected certain groups, such as lower income workers, who could not afford to risk losing their jobs or being docked their pay for being away from work for four or more hours, or students, who could not afford to miss classes or exams. On the other hand, the impact would likely have been less on retired persons or higher wage earners with more leeway in their work schedules, but even they likely had their limits, and many of them may not have been able to vote in the end. Any disproportionate effect could have changed the results of the election, depending on whose constituency was actually able to vote.
Along with any investigation, and perhaps much more importantly, I would request that the results of the Arizona Democratic Primary be declared invalid and that a new primary with federal observers present at polling places be scheduled to occur before the Democratic National Convention convenes in late July.
The issue of voting malfeasance in Arizona is an incredibly serious one that strikes at the very core of our democratic way of life, and it demands immediate attention.
Thank you very much for considering my request.
