Last month, voters in Arizona took to the polls to vote for their party candidate. But absurdly long wait times severely hindered the process, discouraging many from participating.
In the wake of the controversy, many called the US Justice Department to investigate, including Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton.
“Throughout the county, but especially in Phoenix, thousands of citizens waited in line for three, four, and even five hours to vote,” he wrote in a letter to US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
"Many more simply could not afford to wait that long, and went home. This is unacceptable anywhere in the United States, and I am angry that County officials allowed it to happen in my city."
Many voters reported that they were waiting in line to vote as media reports announced the victory of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire Donald Trump.
On Monday, the DoJ officially confirmed that it had opened an investigation to determine if county officials followed federal election laws.
According to Stanton, the number of polling places was dramatically cut from previous election years. Compared with the 2008 primary, the number of polling stations decreased by some 85%.
According to Gawker, only 60 polling locations were available in a state with over 1 million people.
"There were still people who wanted to go to the polls," said Helen Purcell, Maricopa County Recorder, according to the Arizona Republic, speaking on her role in the mismanagement.
"And I miscalculated on that, and you know, that’s my error."
Voters were also angered, and a White House petition calling "for a revote of the Arizona primary due to voter suppression" has over 100,000 signatures.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign counsel, Marc Elias, called for an investigation, as did presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who praised Stanton’s request.
