Armed observers at some Arizona polling stations accused by several groups of waging a “campaign of intimidation” are now barred from coming within 75 meters of polling booths ahead of the midterm elections, according to a US court ruling. writes AFP.

Maricopa, Arizona Board of ElectionsPhoto: USA TODAY Network / ddp USA / Profimedia

People who are currently near some of the metal ballot boxes where Americans can vote early each day are temporarily “prohibited (…) from carrying firearms within 250 feet” of the ballot boxes, which is 76 meters, and from “wearing body armor” the same distance, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

They are also prohibited from approaching, even unarmed, within 23 meters of ballot boxes and observing and speaking to voters unless they speak to them first.

Midterm voting has been going on for 10 days in Arizona, the southwestern state where Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by just 10,000 votes in 2020, amid a tense atmosphere filled with speculation fueled by conspiracy theories.

Several anonymous observers, some of whom carried firearms, which are legal in Arizona, were stationed near polling places and videotaped voters heading to the polls ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

In Mesa, a suburb of the state capital of Phoenix, the sheriff had to step in to evict two armed men in military uniform.

Several associations have filed a complaint alleging a voter “intimidation campaign” they say is being orchestrated by the self-proclaimed “patriot” group Clean Elections USA.

On Tuesday, a judge also barred the group from spreading false election information online after its founder, Melody Jennings, falsely claimed that voters could only provide a power of attorney to her wife in Arizona.

After the 2020 presidential election, several far-right groups spread conspiracy theories that some ballot boxes in the US were filled with fake ballots. And this despite various studies and calculations that showed the reliability of the results.

In Arizona, the three Republican candidates for governor, senator and secretary of state — the top official in charge of the election process — are still actively contesting the 2020 results.