Self-appointed Arizona ballot box monitors who were allegedly bullying voters in the lead-up to the US midterm elections have been instructed to maintain their distance.

Groups of individuals, some of whom were masked, carried weapons, dressed in tactical gear, and loitered around polling stations throughout Arizona, claiming they are there to stop a repetition of the ballot stuffing that they assert, without providing any proof, cost Donald Trump the 2020 election.

But on Tuesday, a federal judge mandated that members of Clean Elections USA, the organization in charge of organizing the campaign, remain at least 75 feet (23 meters) away from the ballot boxes and forbade them from openly carrying guns or body armor within a 250-foot radius.
 
Election observers are also not permitted to take pictures of or otherwise record people inside the drop box zones.
 
They are also not permitted "unless spoken to or yelled at first, (to) speak to or yell at an individual who that Defendant knows is (i) returning ballots to the drop box, and (ii) who is within 75 feet of the drop box," the restraining order says. 
 
Arizona's Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, praised the judge's decision as "a win for voters, who should always be able to exercise their right to vote without harassment."

In Arizona, where US President Joe Biden defeated former US President Donald Trump by a mere 10,000 votes in 2020, voting has been taking place for the last ten days. 

Police officers removed two armed men wearing paramilitary gear from Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix, last week.

Numerous organizations have complained about a "campaign of intimidation" that was orchestrated by self-described "patriots", and have filed complaints denouncing a "campaign of intimidation", coordinated by self-proclaimed "patriots". 

Are the #Democrats in trouble for this midterm election? pic.twitter.com/hgr0z882Cm

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 2, 2022

After its creator Melody Jennings made misleading promises regarding who may bring votes to the drop boxes, Judge Michael Liburdi on Tuesday prohibited Clean Elections USA from disseminating false information online about the election.
 
According to The New York Times, Liburdi, said, "This does not prohibit Miss Jennings from correctly stating what the law is," adding that "I just have a problem with her stating it incorrectly in a way that is intimidating or coercive to voting behavior." 
 
There was no proof of election fraud in Arizona in 2020 despite several probes, including a partial recount arranged by Republicans. However, a sizable portion of Republican voters believes that the election was rigged.

The Republican candidates for governor, senator, and secretary of state in Arizona continue to allege that the election was rigged.

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