Republicans are busy celebrating their win. But now the courts are throwing a new wrench into the gears.
Because this Supreme Court election ruling changes everything.
UPDATE: The Associated Press has called the Arizona Senate race for Ruben Gallego
The Arizona Supreme Court has declined to extend the deadline for voters to address issues with their mail-in ballots, as the nail-biting Senate race between Kari Lake and Ruben Gallego continues.
With no winner yet declared, Democrat Ruben Gallego holds a slim lead over Lake, projected at 49.7% to her 48.2%, per the latest Associated Press estimates.
Approximately 92% of the vote had been counted as of Sunday morning.
The court ruled Sunday that election officials across eight of Arizona’s 15 counties had provided voters with adequate notice of signature discrepancies and allowed them the chance to “cure” their ballots.
Several voter rights groups, including the ACLU and Campaign Legal Center, had petitioned the court to extend the deadline by four days, citing delays in notification and counting that could risk invalidating many ballots.
They highlighted the need for extended verification time for the 250,000 outstanding mail-in ballots that were still under review as of Friday evening.
Arizona law mandates that voters who submit mail-in ballots be alerted to any issues, such as a signature mismatch, and given a “reasonable” opportunity to address them.
Justice Bill Montgomery, serving as the duty judge, stated, “The Court has no information to establish in fact that any such individuals did not have the benefit of ‘reasonable efforts’ to cure their ballots.”
He also noted that none of the counties involved had requested an extension.
This decision may pose a challenge for Lake, a prominent Trump ally known nationally since her high-profile 2022 midterm campaign. Dubbed “Trump in heels,” Lake has drawn major national attention to Arizona’s Senate race, especially after Trump clinched the state’s 11 electoral votes in this year’s presidential election, securing a total of 312 electoral votes against Kamala Harris’s 226.
Gallego has largely stayed out of the spotlight, posting only briefly on X (formerly Twitter) last Wednesday: “We are closely watching as the results come in, and we’re feeling very optimistic.”
While some media outlets and organizations, including Decision Desk HQ, have called the race for Gallego, the Associated Press has not yet followed suit, and Lake has yet to concede.
On Sunday, Lake’s campaign posted from @KariLakeWarRoom, saying, “Need help curing your ballot? We’re here for you! Even after the election, we’re still working to support our fellow Republican candidates and ensure Kari Lake crosses the finish line.”
Meanwhile, Republicans are on the brink of reclaiming the House majority, which would grant them full control of Congress.
Currently, Republicans hold 213 seats in the House to Democrats’ 203, with 19 races too close to call. Republicans need five of these to secure a majority, while Democrats need 15.
Lake’s support among Trump voters in Arizona has been lower than expected, a stark contrast to Trump’s past success in the state.
In 2016, Republican Sen. John McCain won his final term while Trump carried Arizona, but in 2020, both Trump and then-Senator Martha McSally — appointed to McCain’s seat after his passing — fell short in Arizona.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
