Judge rules Arizona presidential preference lawsuit can proceed

PHOENIX — The fallout from an ineptly run presidential preference election held in Arizona continued Monday, with a Maricopa County judge ruling a lawsuit could proceed.

The court challenge in Maricopa County Superior Court came as Judge David Gass considered a request from the Arizona attorney general’s office to toss the case.

Instead, residents will get the opportunity to testify that they failed to vote because of the long lines. Some people were in line up to five hours.

Tucson resident John Brakey sued Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan and all 15 counties after the March 22 election.

He contended long lines in Maricopa County suppressed the vote and statewide voter registrations problems led to illegal vote counts.

Wicked long lines, wicked long waits even after primary election polls close in Tempe, Arizona. pic.twitter.com/1AO6Hbtnv3

— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) March 23, 2016

The Department of Justice launched an inquiry into the problems after voters filed federal petitions and the Democratic Party and candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are suing the state.

Brakey wants the results decertified.

Reagan and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors certified the results, which gave Donald Trump the GOP presidential win and Clinton the Democratic win.

Reagan met with voters three weeks after the election that made national headlines for inordinately long wait times and other issues.

Although the state Attorney General Mark Brnovich said the results can’t be challenged, he did say he found issues with how the election was handled.

Polling places were reduced to 60, down from 200 in the previous preference voting.

Maricopa County Record Helen Purcell said the number was cut because of funding, but the number will jump to 116 for a special statewide election in May.

Brnovich also pointed out that Brakey can’t show the results would change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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