Arizona election watchdog settles drop box lawsuit.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona has settled a lawsuit related to a ballot drop box surveillance effort during the 2022 midterm election. While the terms of the settlement are private, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of speech and assembly, as well as their disapproval of any sort of voter intimidation.

The Surveillance Effort

Inspired by the film “2,000 Mules,” Melody Jennings, founder of Clean Elections USA, and others organized citizens to watch for anyone stuffing multiple ballots into drop boxes, take their photos, and report their vehicle license plates to police. Some box watchers carried guns, which is allowed under Arizona’s law.

Calling the action voter intimidation, the league went to federal court in October 2022, seeking to stop the drop box surveillance.

Discrediting ‘2,000 Mules’

True the Vote, the group behind “2,000 Mules,” provided financial support for Jennings’s legal defense. In the film, investigators used geotracking and local government video surveillance to show “mules” carrying multiple ballots and visiting multiple drop boxes in the 2020 election.

“There were constitutional issues of great consequence raised in this case. Today was a win for free speech and the right to assemble peaceably. Today, freedom won,” Catherine Engelbrecht, president of True the Vote, said in a statement after the settlement.

The film touched nerves in the political sphere in the wake of the 2020 election and some tried to discredit it. In its court filing, represented by a team of six attorneys, the League of Women Voters of Arizona called the film “debunked.”

Conclusion

The settlement of this lawsuit is a win for freedom of speech and assembly, as well as a reminder of the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections. Let’s continue to work towards fair and transparent elections for all.