218,000 Voter Registration Errors Found in Arizona

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced that 218,000 voters, more than double the initially reported 97,000, have been found lacking proof of citizenship due to a long-standing data error in the state's voter registration system. The issue arose from a coding oversight in the Motor Vehicle Division’s database, which misclassified voters' citizenship status. Despite the error, the Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all affected individuals will be allowed to vote in the upcoming election, with their full ballot rights intact. This error predominantly affects longtime Arizona residents who obtained driver's licenses before 1996, and the majority of these voters are registered Republicans. The discovery has led to renewed calls from Republicans for stricter voter ID laws and has sparked significant political controversy. Election officials are working to resolve the issue promptly while ensuring the rights of all voters are preserved.