Judge rules to extend hours of polling places in Apache County after voting issues cause disruption

PHOENIX — A judge has ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in an Election Day lawsuit, which will extend the hours that some Arizona polling places will stay open.

The Navajo Nation filed the lawsuit against Apache County officials on Tuesday afternoon.

Although Arizona’s polling locations were slated to close at 7 p.m., voting issues caused disruptions that made the extension necessary.

“There were some issues in Apache County today. People were waiting in line, ballots being printed,” Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said. “Some of you left because it was so long of a line, and our elderly may have gone home.”

Thanks to the judge’s ruling, several polling locations in Apache County are staying open two hours past the initial scheduled closing time, including:

• Lukachukai.
• Lupton.
• Rock Point.
• Cottonwood.
• St Michaels.
• Wheatfield.
• Dennehotso.
• Fort Defiance.
• Chinle.

“Voting places will now be open in certain areas until 9 p.m.,” Nez said. “Those of you who went home due to long lines: Please come back to vote.”

What voting issues caused the Election Day lawsuit in Arizona?

The lawsuit said several issues have prevented Navajo voters on the Apache County portion of the Navajo Reservation from casting ballots, including:

• Machines malfunctioning.
• Lack of printed ballots.
• Long lines.
• Lack of provisional ballots.
• Failure to accept adequate ID.
• Polls not being operational or open during posted voting hours.

Apache County first started dealing with these issues Tuesday morning.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes addressed the issue in a 3 p.m. update posted to YouTube.

“There has been an e-pollbook and a printer problem,” Fontes said. “This is countywide. It doesn’t only exist on the reservations in Apache County.”

Technical teams were on the ground to help address these issues, he added.

“There are still some residual issues out in Apache County,” he said.

Two hours later, at 5:50 p.m., he gave Arizona voters an update on the situation.

“All but one of the sites in Apache County are consistently and constantly up,” Fontes said.

One site he didn’t name was still having issues at the time.

“The lawsuit, we expect, will have some resolution before 7 p.m.,” Fontes said.

Navajo Nation president comments on Election Day lawsuit

Navajo Nation President Buu Van Nygren addressed the lawsuit in a Tuesday evening post on Facebook.

“Navajo people represent a powerful voting base,” Nygren said. “We’ve demonstrated in the past that we can change the outcome of state and federal elections.”

In order to ensure this voting bloc can exercise its full power, he believes an extension of polling locations is necessary.

“Today’s issues in Apache County are troubling, but our Navajo voters should not be discouraged,” Nygren said. “We are working to ensure that our Navajo voters are being accommodated due to the technical failures.”