AZ: An election integrity warrior forged signatures to get on the ballot? Say it isn't so [View all]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2024/04/16/arizona-election-lawsuit-austin-smith-forged-signatures-ballot/73345673007/

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https://archive.li/8Z0XO

One of the Arizona Legislature’s most ardent warriors for election integrity may have landed himself smack in a steaming pile of political poop.

It seems two voters in the West Valley’s Legislative District 29 have come forward claiming they didn’t sign petitions to put Rep. Austin Smith on the July 30 ballot.

And yet there they are, on petitions circulated by Smith himself, according to a lawsuit seeking to toss him off the ballot.

“As shown by his circulator affidavit, Smith personally circulated multiple petition sheets bearing what appear to be forged voter signatures,” according to the lawsuit filed on Monday by Democratic attorney Roy Herrera on behalf of James Ashurst of Goodyear.

“At least two voters whose names appear on petition sheets Smith circulated avow that they never signed the petition.”

*snip*