As ballot drop box stakeouts continue, new voter intimidation complaints flow in
Days after Maricopa County officials warned people to stop taking photos of voters and election staffers at ballot drop boxes, the Arizona Secretary of State's Office continues to refer complaints to the Department of Justice.
Two new complaints filed this week with the office allege that small groups of people are filming voters and capturing photographs of their license plates as they drop off their early ballots.
Maricopa County has two outdoor ballot drop boxes: one at the county's main elections headquarters near downtown Phoenix and one at the Maricopa County Juvenile Court in Mesa. Complaints have come from both locations.
The ballot drop box watchers and their cameras aren't new.
During the August primary, a group of people set up shop at the ballot drop box in Mesa. Some groups, like Lions of Liberty in Yavapai County, began organizing ballot drop box watch shifts weeks ago.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates warned against "bad behavior" and rebuked the drop box monitors during a press conference Wednesday. He called for anyone with questions about the elections process to consider serving as a poll worker or political party observer.
"They're harassing people," he said. "They're not helping further the interests of democracy."
County officials said Wednesday that their attorneys and the Arizona Secretary of State's Office are currently evaluating what the legal limits are for ballot drop box observers and what activities may constitute voter intimidation.
Disrupting democracy: County officials rebuke ballot drop box watchers
Reports complain of 'camo clad' people and young men in parking lots
One complaint, filed on Wednesday, alleges that a 70-year-old voter was intimidated by a group of five or six young men at the Mesa drop box.
"I got out and asked them what they were doing," the report read. "They claimed they were taking pictures for 'election security' and I took pictures of them." As the voter drove away, the report said, the group continued to film him, his wife and their car.
The other complaint said "camo clad" people took photos of a voter and their vehicle license plate as they dropped off their ballot outside the county's main election center. The voter said the photographers wouldn't give their names or any information about what organization they were with.
"It's a personal attack," the complaint read. "They basically said they're taking pictures looking for some fantasy BS on the voting citizenry."
"I don't appreciate the harassment," the voter wrote.
The new accounts join one other referred to the Department of Justice by state officials on Wednesday. In that complaint, a voter reported being approached and followed by a group of people while trying to drop off ballots on Monday in Mesa.
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"There's a group of people hanging out near the ballot dropbox filming and photographing my wife and I as we approached the dropbox and accusing us of being a mule," the complaint read.
The term "mule" is used by some right-wing election deniers to describe people they believe have improperly gathered completed ballots. It stems from the debunked film "2,000 Mules," which states without proof that widespread ballot harvesting occurred during the 2020 presidential election.
Officials say voters who feel threatened or intimidated should file a complaint with the county or call 911 if they are in immediate danger.
County election officials can be reached at 602-506-1511.
Sasha Hupka covers Maricopa County and regional issues for The Arizona Republic with a focus on voting and democracy. Do you have a tip about elections or questions about voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: As ballot drop box stakeouts continue, new voter complaints flow in
