(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Arizona sued the state over an obscure law that allows U.S. citizens abroad to register and vote in the state, even if they’ve never set foot there.
They argue that A.R.S. § 16-103(E) violates the state constitution’s residency requirement by granting ballots to anyone abroad whose parents live and are registered to vote in Arizona.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is allowing people who have never even lived in the state to vote.
The RNC is working with the @AZGOP to sue Fontes and defend Arizona rights and clean their voter rolls.
Only Arizonans should vote in Arizona elections. Plain and simple. pic.twitter.com/7TvY8vezjZ
— Michael Whatley (@ChairmanWhatley) June 30, 2025
RNC Chair Michael Whatley decried the law in a press statement on Monday, saying, “Arizona’s elections should be decided by Arizonans, not by individuals who have never lived a single day in this country.”
He warned that the law opens the door to voter fraud “by allowing votes from people who have never established legal residency.” Whatley added, “The RNC is defending the rights of Arizona voters to stop this unconstitutional law in its tracks.”
The law took effect in 2023 and borrows language from the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) of 1986, which applies only to federal elections.
The lawsuit names Democrat Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes as a plaintiff. He took office in 2023 after Democrats won key statewide posts, including the governorship.
“This action is part of the RNC’s nationwide legal strategy to clean up voter rolls and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots in American elections,” the RNC said.
