As Armed Trump-Fueled Voter Intimidation Rises in Arizona, DOJ Stays Quiet

Men wearing fatigues and brandishing guns surveilling drop boxes, voters being filmed and followed after submitting their votes, a candidate's office burglarized — all these events have taken place in the state of Arizona during the runup to Election Day, just 11 days away.

When Newsweek asked the Department of Justice whether it has been providing or is planning to provide assistance to the state following these incidents, a Department spokesperson said, "The department is aware of the reports of alleged voter intimidation in Arizona. Decline to comment further."

Attorney General Merrick Garland was asked during a press conference on Monday whether the DOJ was concerned about the Arizona intimidation incidents and if it planned to get involved.

"The Justice Department has an obligation to guarantee a free and fair vote by everyone who's qualified to vote and will not permit voters to be intimidated," Garland replied, and elaborated no further.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, whose office oversees Arizona elections, issued a statement on October 24 that her office had referred six incidents of alleged voter intimidation to the Justice Department. CNN obtained footage taken by a "grandmother" (as she is called in the video) who confronted an armed man who was speaking to and filming her as she was heading to vote.

In 2020, Arizona posted the second slimmest margin of victory by a state, behind Georgia, when President Joe Biden bested former President Donald Trump there by just 0.3%. Trump tried unsuccessfully to contact Maricopa County Republicans to help tip the state in his favor, according to The Arizona Republic. When the victory remained firm, armed Trump supporters protested outside a Maricopa County polling center alleging fraud. Allegations of a stolen election in the state have not quieted since.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who some are branding a successor to Trump, has repeatedly refused to commit to accepting the results of her election race this year and continues to question the legitimacy of the 2020 election, despite presenting no substantiated evidence of fraud. Lake, who is running against Hobbs, the candidate whose office was burglarized, has pointed to her opponent's official role in administering the election in an apparent attempt to undermine faith in the future results.

Similarly, Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters has said in campaign ads that he thinks "Trump won in 2020," and questioned the legitimacy of voting machines that will be used to count ballots in this election, according to audio obtained by the Daily Beast.

Masters said this Tuesday during KTAR News 92.3 FM's The Mike Broomhead Show, an Arizona-based radio program, that "if you are planning on watching the ballot boxes, stay whatever distance away, don't intimidate voters, get your video camera out and record to make sure people aren't ballot harvesting."

"Arizonans are tough, independent people who won't be intimidated by these undemocratic tactics," Mark Kelly for Senate Spokeswoman Chloe Cameron told Newsweek. "Voting is easy, secure, and critically important. Blake Masters' encouragement of this unacceptable behavior is a great reminder of how much is at stake and why elections matter."

The Masters campaign did not respond to Newsweek's request for comment.

Darrell Hill, policy director for the ACLU of Arizona, said the tactics being carried out by the people positioned outside ballot boxes are very much like the "tactics we saw in the pre-Civil Rights South that were designed to place fear in the hearts of voters to make them not want to show up to the polls."

"It's very concerning and very troubling, and I think, it's important for every person to stand up," Hill told Newsweek. "I think without a change, we're going to see an escalation of these tactics, and we will be dealing with a kind of a return to the past that I don't think most Americans want to see."

The Department of Justice released a statement on October 26 stating that its "Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation." The Department said that on Election Day it will conduct field monitoring to ensure compliance, "will be ready to receive complaints," and said its prepared to take complaints at its 800-253-3931 hotline. The statement did not address specific actions being taken in Arizona.

Newsweek contacted the Arizona Secretary of State asking whether the DOJ had provided additional support but did not receive comment in time for publication. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek it "works directly with the FBI and they would facilitate any issues or events that may require DOJ review."

"The Department of Justice, when they receive reports of voter intimidation or concerns around voter fraud or election interference, has the power to go into polling locations," Hill told Newsweek. "DOJ also has the power to monitor voter tabulations or ballot counting to make sure there's no improprieties or irregularities, so DOJ could have a pretty expansive role in making sure that our elections are safe, secure, and fair."

When it comes to how the DOJ may respond to the ongoing issues facing the state of Arizona, Hill said the ACLU would welcome any additional insights.

"I really can't speak to why they wouldn't be providing clarity," Hill said. "Our concern is just making sure that every voter can cast their ballot free of any voter intimidation or interference. To the extent that DOJ can assist with that, we stand by to hear what they have to say."