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With the deadline extension, an estimated additional 65,000 Arizonans would register to vote.
An appeals court ruled Thursday that Arizona’s voter registration deadline extension can remain in place.
The original deadline was Oct. 5. That night, a judge extended the deadline to Oct. 23, the same day by which early ballots must be requested.
However, the new date isn’t necessarily here for good. The court’s decision not to put a hold on the extension came down to who was part of the lawsuit challenging it.
The appeals court said it would review the Republican National Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee‘s request once Arizona joins the lawsuit, as called for by Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
On Monday, a district judge ruled the pandemic has undermined the integrity of the election by preventing a portion of the population from registering to vote and concluded that extending the deadline would let the voices of those people be heard.
MORE: The Copper Courier’s Guide to Voting in Arizona in 2020
Two advocacy groups seeking to register voters had asked the court to extend the deadline, saying its registration numbers plummeted because of the COVID-19 restrictions, though those figures have returned to almost the same level as before the pandemic.
Political organizers largely suspended in-person operations in March as the coronavirus began spreading in larger numbers. Republicans have resumed many in-person voter education and outreach efforts while many Democratic groups are still organizing exclusively through digital means.
If the extension were to remain in place and registrations stayed at their current rate, it’s estimated an additional 65,000 people would register to vote.
As of August, Arizona had nearly 4 million registered voters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jessica Swarner is an associate editor for The Copper Courier. She is an ASU alumna and previously worked at KTAR News 92.3 FM in Phoenix.
