YUMA COUNTY - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that Alma Juarez of San Luis pleaded guilty to one count of Ballot Abuse for her role in an August 2020 Primary Election "ballot harvesting" scheme where early ballots from other voters were collected and deposited into a ballot box on primary Election Day.
In December 2020, Juarez and Guillermina Fuentes, also of San Luis, were both indicted for 1 count each of Ballot Abuse, also known as “ballot harvesting.” In March, Juarez entered a guilty plea to Ballot Abuse. Arizona law only provides for a family member, household member, or caregiver of the voter to collect voted or unvoted early ballots from another person. Under Arizona law ballot harvesting is a class 6 felony.
Juarez admitted that she "knowingly collect[ed] ballots from another person, and those early ballots belonged to individuals for whom I am not a family member, household member, or caregiver." Juarez further admitted that the early ballots were given to her by Guillermina Fuentes.
Juarez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2022.
Fuentes is scheduled to enter a change of plea on June 2, 2022.
This investigation was conducted by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations Section, Election Integrity Unit and the Yuma County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson is prosecuting this case.