NEW YORK — (NEW YORK) -- A federal judge in Arizona Friday declined to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to keep several people accused of voter intimidation from gathering near ballot boxes and surveilling voters.
In the lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, the nonprofit advocacy groups Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino accused ten unnamed individuals -- as well as Clean Elections USA and the group's founder, Melody Jennings -- of carrying out surveillance in a"coordinated vigilante intimidation campaign" at ballot drop box locations,"with the express purpose of deterring voters ... from depositing their ballots.
In his order denying both motions, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi said he"acknowledge[d] that Plaintiffs and many voters are legitimately alarmed by the observers," but ultimately ruled that the requested preliminary injunctive relief"implicates serious First Amendment considerations."