TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva issued a statement following a U.S. district judge’s decision in Phoenix to halt far-right groups’ actions to monitor ballot drop boxes armed with weapons and dressed in tactical gear in Arizona:

“Armed individuals or groups stationed outside ballot boxes wearing tactical gear and carrying weapons near voting drop boxes is clear intimidation and a deliberate tactic to create fear among voters. The recent court decision to prohibit this practice is welcome news after the many reports of harassment and intimidation in Arizona. The Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland should continue to act ​and work with local and state election officials to address the of growing conspiracies, attempts to intimidate voters, and escalating threats to our voting rights and systems. We must protect voters, election officials and poll workers and safeguard polling places and voter drop boxes to ensure that voters can ​exercise their rights and cast their ballot without fear.”

Rep. Grijalva today also sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to protect Arizonans from voter intimidation at the voting booth and voter drop boxes. The full letter to Attorney General Garland can be found here.