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FACT BRIEF

Was a member of the Arizona Democratic Party found guilty of 'ballot harvesting?'

By Austin Tannenbaum
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YES

Arizona Democratic Party member and former San Luis mayor Guillermina Fuentes was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years’ probation for collecting four acquiantences' mail-in ballots outside a polling site and placing them in a ballot drop-off bin during the August 2020 primary election — a practice informally known as "ballot harvesting." Her act violates a 2016 ballot-abuse law that says only a member of the family, member of the household or caregiver can collect ballots on another's behalf.

Election officials confirmed that the ballots were legitimate and the envelopes were signed by qualified voters. After considering a lighter sentence, the judge sentenced Fuentes to jail time, believing she did not accept responsibility for her crime.

Ballot harvesting is not a widespread issue in Arizona, with this being the first case ever prosecuted in the state.  

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
azcentral Arizona woman sentenced to 30 days in jail for collecting 4 ballots
Arizona Legislature House Bill 2023: An Act ... Relating to Ballot Abuse
AP News Arizona woman seeks leniency in ballot harvesting case
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.