Judge Schwartz said Smith's offense undermined what aspect of democracy?

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Judge Aryeh Schwartz said Smith's offense "undermined the integrity of the election process." The judge balanced acknowledging the harm with noting that Smith accepted responsibility for his actions. Smith admitted attempting to deceive the Secretary of State by filing petitions containing forged signatures. The forgery violated the fundamental premise that ballot petition signatures must be voluntary and legitimate. Arizona law requires candidates to gather valid signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot, creating a democratic check on ballot access. Smith's fraud circumvented this check, potentially putting an ineligible candidate on the ballot and denying voters a legitimate choice.

Judge Schwartz said Smith's offense undermined what aspect of democracy?

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