PHOENIX, Ariz. — Today, the AZGOP announced the filing of a lawsuit against Governor Katie Hobbs, challenging the legality of two executive orders issued in November 2023.
The lawsuit, filed in the Arizona Supreme Court, seeks to invalidate Executive Orders 2023-23 and 2023-25, which the Party argues exceed the Governor’s legal authority and violate the Arizona Constitution.
The executive orders in question involve significant changes to the administration of elections in Arizona. Executive Order 2023-23 designates state-owned facilities, including those managed by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) and the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC), as ballot drop-off locations. Executive Order 2023-25 mandates these agencies to make voter registration forms available and process them, a responsibility traditionally held by county recorders and other local officials.
Chair Swoboda emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of Arizona’s electoral process through lawful means.
“Governor Hobbs’ actions represent a blatant overreach of her authority and a direct violation of the separation of powers established by our Constitution,” said AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda. “The responsibility for designating voting and ballot drop-off locations, as well as handling voter registration, lies squarely with the Legislature and county officials, not the Governor. These executive orders undermine the trust Arizonans place in their electoral process, and we will not stand by as our constitutional rights are trampled.”
The Arizona Republican Party’s lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment that both executive orders are unconstitutional and requests an injunction to prevent their enforcement.
