Arizona voters express doubts about petition for Libertarian candidate: “Doesn’t resemble my signature at all.

Multiple Arizona voters say their signatures were forged in Libertarian Michelle Martin’s paperwork to run in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.

Four people told the Arizona Republic that they had not signed the petition that their signatures were on. In order to appear on the ballot in Arizona, candidates must gain a number of signatures proportional to the number of registered voters in their district.

“That is definitely not me. Not even close to my signature. That’s very upsetting,” Stephen Riordan, a Phoenix resident whose name and signature were listed on Martin’s paperwork, said.

Martin submitted 1,200 signatures, which is more than the required “at least one-half of one percent” of registered voters in the district needed to get on the ballot.

“I’m disappointed,” Shannon Speagle, another resident whose signature was allegedly forged, said. “It completely delegitimizes this candidacy.” She said her signature was “bogus.” Speagle said she asked three additional neighbors to verify their signatures on the petition. They say their signatures were also “bogus.”

Martin did not respond to the Arizona Republic for comment. Several signature gatherers also did not respond for comment.

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Arizona’s newly redrawn 1st District is now labeled a “toss-up” going into the 2024 general election.

Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) has represented the district for more than a decade and will have to defend his seat in an area that has voted increasingly blue in recent years. In 2022, Schweikert kept his seat in the House by a narrow margin of 3,000 votes.