Lawsuit accuses conservative group of 'coordinated campaign' to deter Maricopa drop box voters

An Arizona federal court is reviewing a lawsuit that alleges the group Clean Elections USA is engaging in a "coordinated campaign" to intimidate voters in the state's Maricopa County by placing armed watchers at ballot drop boxes.

The suit was filed Monday by the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino against the conservative voter-integrity group, founder Melody Jennings and 10 unnamed defendants, who reportedly were near the monitored boxes, according to The Hill newspaper. 

The plaintiffs allege that "armed and masked individuals" with Clean Energy stood near the boxes at least five times last week with the "express purpose of deterring voters ... from depositing their ballots." 

They are asking the courts for an immediate temporary restraining order to halt such activity.

The suit follows the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors this past weekend raising concerns about vigilantes dressed in tactical gear intimidating voters at the ballot box.

Clean Elections – whose focus is to organize people to "help" watch ballot drop boxes — says on its website there was a coordinated effort to stuff the boxes in 2020.

Jennings defended her group on Truth Social. 

"You are most welcome to drop off a ballot," she wrote. "No one here wants to stop you. If you think that you are missing the whole point. We want your vote to count."

State officials, including many in GOP-run states, have said they have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the November 2020 election that could have altered the outcome.

However, several states have acknowledged serious irregularities or unlawful changes to election rules occurred in 2020.