Arizona AG Mayes warns that she will prosecute individuals who threaten election workers
Feb 3, 2023, 1:00 PM
PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a warning Friday to anyone considering threatening election workers in the state.
“People need to be on notice that they now have an attorney general who will prosecute this behavior,” Mayes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.
“I will not allow this to go on in 2024 and 2026.”
Elections officials have been the target of threats in Arizona in recent years, with some instances being released as recently as this week.
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Audio circulated online (WARNING: explicit language) Monday of somebody telling a Maricopa County elections worker “someone should shoot you in the head.”
It prompted Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman to release a statement expressing his disgust for continued threats.
Mayes and Hickman have been in touch regarding their concerns.
“What I would say to Clint and to all elections officials across Arizona is they now have an attorney general who is going to vigorously prosecute anyone who engages in death threats against our elections officials, threats of violence and attempted interference in our elections,” Mayes said.
“We need to make it easier for me to prosecute these death threats against our election officials. This is a massive problem.”
Multiple statewide and county election officials have left their posts since the 2020 election, with some citing threats as a cause.
Cochise County elections director Lisa Marra was the most recent, announcing last week she would be resigning to due to a threatening work environment.
“We now have a third of our counties that have had a top elections official resign due to the death threats that are happening, and that’s insane,” Mayes said.
“We can’t have a democracy if we don’t have people who feel like they can carry out our elections free of these death threats.”
