Random sampling showed the group turned in about 3,000 fewer valid voter signatures than required, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
He submitted 37,277 signatures on Oct. 24 to the state, which were then sent to Arizona counties for random sampling. A 20% sample showed a validity rate of only 85.76%, or 31,018 valid signatures, according to a statement on Monday by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. The group needed at least a 91.67% validity rate, or 34,127 valid signatures, to make the 2024 ballot.
The state Republican Party released a statement on Monday praising a 50-volunteer team for reviewing the 37,000 submitted signatures “until the early hours of the morning” after they were received.
“This achievement underscores the AZGOP’s commitment to election integrity,” the statement said. The state GOP didn’t address Fontes’ promise for more transparency.