Election officials reacted swiftly to reported voter intimidation this week at a Mesa ballot drop box, condemning the action and reassuring voters that they are working with law enforcement to address such incidents.
Cronkite News reports the statements come after two voters reported to the secretary of state’s office that when they went to drop off ballots Monday, a group “hanging out near the ballot dropbox” filmed them and accused them of “being a mule,” an apparent reference to debunked claims of ballot fraud.
The group followed the couple to their car, photographing its license plate and briefly tailing the two voters out of the parking lot of the Maricopa County Juvenile Court, where the drop box is located, according to the statement to the secretary of state.
A Maricopa County Elections Department spokesperson said it is “unacceptable and unlawful to impede any voter from participating in the election” and the report was referred to the U.S. Justice Department and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
The report comes less than a week into the state’s early voting period and follows months when election deniers, including some candidates, have called for groups to monitor elections and polling places.