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    • Tom Horne expelled from the polling station where he was collecting signatures
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    Tom Horne expelled from the polling station where he was collecting signatures

    Pabio Posted on

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    Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne was removed Tuesday morning from the voting center at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix for violating the perimeter of 75 feet this is to ensure that only certain categories of people are in the voting area.

    Arizona law limits polling locations to certain groups, including non-voters, election officials, political party observers, votest assistants and minors accompanying voters. Violating perimeter restrictions is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

    Horne, 79, was not there to vote — he said he was collecting signatures for his 2026 re-election campaign. He is seeking a fourth term as state superintendent after serving two consecutive terms as 2003 to 2011 and returned to office in 2023. Horne also served as Arizona Attorney General from 2011 to 2015.

    Horne said he didn’t realize he was within the 75-foot perimeter and “immediately stopped asking for signatures” when someone informed him. He only collected “a few” signatures before leaving the premises, he said.

    Video obtained by The Arizona Republic showed a poll worker chasing Horne from a line of voters. At the time, he was collecting a voter’s address, he said. The video shows him taking a few steps and turning his back on the line, then continuing to write information on a clipboard.

    The poll worker approached him about 30 seconds later and asked him to leave.

    In response, Horne said he was “just finishing writing something, dammit.” As he began to walk away, he said, “I’m not campaigning. »

    The poll worker told him he was not allowed to be present because he was not voting or working. Horne reiterated that he was not campaigning before disengaging from the poll worker and continuing to walk away.

    Horne told The Republic that he thought he had the right to finish writing down the voter’s address before he forgot it. He had collected signatures at another location earlier in the morning without problems, he said. He needs 10,000 signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot.

    Arizona the law defines the electoral campaign as knowingly and intentionally expressing support for or opposition to a candidate, measure, or political party that appears on the ballot in this election with the intent to influence or coerce the vote of another person.

    Contact the journalist [email protected].

    Pabio
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