Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne was kicked out of the voting center at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix on Tuesday morning for violating the 75-foot perimeter that is intended to ensure only certain categories of people are in the polling area.
Arizona law limits polling places to select groups, including voters who have not cast their ballots, election officials, political party monitors, vot er assistants and minors accompanying voters . Violating the perimeter restrictions is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Horne, 79, was not there to vote — he said he was collecting signatures for his 2026 reelection campaign. He’s seeking a fourth term as state superintendent after serving two consecutive terms from 2003-11 and returning to office in 2023. Horne also served as Arizona attorney general from 2011-15.
Horne said he did not realize he was within the 75-foot perimeter and “immediately stopped asking for signatures” when somebody informed him. He only collected “a few” signatures before leaving the restricted area, he said.