By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department has ordered Arizona to preserve all election records dating back to 2020 as it prepares for a potential lawsuit over alleged voting law violations, according to public records released on Wednesday.

In an August 12 letter to the Arizona Secretary of State, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said it is authorized to sue Arizona over alleged violations of the Help America Vote Act. Congress passed the measure after vote counting problems, particularly in Florida, during the 2000 presidential election between former President George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Al Gore.

That law required states to create a computerized voter registration list and imposed minimum standards to ensure clean voter rolls, in add

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