All voters have the right to vote free of intimidation, including from law enforcement, military, and federal agents.
It is illegal for anyone to try to or actually intimidate, threaten, or coerce someone who is voting or trying to vote, or someone who is helping a person to vote. By law, members of the military, state and local law enforcement, and federal agents, including ICE, may not intimidate or prevent a qualified voter from voting through force, threat, or other action. It doesn’t matter if the intimidation was deliberate, as long as the voter, or the voter’s helper, felt intimidated.
Beyond the federal laws against intimidation, it is also illegal for any person in the U.S. civil, military, or naval service to order troops or armed federal agents to any place where an election is held. By law, officers of the U.S. military may not interfere with the freedom of any election or the exercise of the right to vote in any state.
All voters have the right not to be discriminated against based on race, national origin, or disability.
All voters who need assistance because of a disability or inability to read and write in the language of the ballot may choose someone to help them to vote, as long as the person is not an agent/representative of the voter’s employer or union.
If you have questions or need assistance on-site, the best person to speak to is a local election worker. Poll workers are members of your community, and work for the municipal or county government rather than the federal government.
If you observe violations of these rules, call 866-OUR-VOTE, the Election Protection Hotline! You can even report anonymously. If you are voting in person, and you feel comfortable doing so, you can quietly report your concerns to an on-site poll worker. Do not approach, speak to, or engage a law enforcement officer.
Challenges CANNOT be brought by out-of-state observers. A qualified voter in your county or a party-appointed challenger is allowed to challenge your right to vote. You can only be challenged as to the following qualifications:
A challenger must provide clear and convincing evidence to show that you are ineligible to vote for one of the above reasons.
Challenges CANNOT be based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, national origin, or any other characteristics not relevant to voter qualifications.
Challenges are decided by election boards. Election boards are generally made up of an inspector, a marshal, two judges, and a number of election clerks, which may vary by precinct.
The elections officer will ask you to present your ID and tell them your full name and address.
Attempt to inform another poll worker of your issue. If this does not resolve the issue, call Election Protection. You may also contact county election officials if speaking to another poll worker does not resolve the issue. You can also report any incidents regarding voter intimidation to the Secretary of State’s Office or call 1-877-THE-VOTE.
No photography or video recording is allowed in a polling place. This may be considered an example of voter intimidation.
Arizona law allows the following people to be inside the polling place:
Voters must move outside the 75-foot limit around the polling place after they finish voting.
Speak to the election inspector or marshal. They have the authority to remove disruptive people from the voting location and to decide whether to contact law enforcement or the officer in charge of elections. If that does not resolve the issue, call Election Protection.
Voters are entitled to assistance. If a voter has a disability that requires assistance to vote, the voter may bring a person of their choice to help them vote. The person providing assistance may not be a candidate for office or the voter’s union representative or employer. A voter may ask a member of the election board to assist them with voting. A voter may designate a family member, household member, or caregiver to assist them in returning an early or mail-in ballot.
Fair Elections Center and its Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Arizona legal professional. Updated August 2026.