Mariana Dale/KJZZ

A 2016 Maricopa County primary election ballot.

Friday morning, a federal judge announced his decision not to block an Arizona law that prohibits so-called ballot harvesting. 

House Bill 2023 was signed into law in March making it a felony for anyone other than an election official, post office worker, or family member to collect early ballots. 

The decision most directly prevents get-out-the-vote groups from collecting early ballots, like One Arizona. 

Pita Juarez, a spokeswoman with the organization, which helps people, especially minorities, register to vote said she's disappointed in the decision.

 “It was another way to really attack, or at least force, the community that we are registering to vote – which is a predominantly Latino voters who sometimes just don’t have the time. Also, elderly voters, the people who we were helping before going to their houses and picking up their ballots,” she said. 

The Arizona Republican Party is celebrating the decision.  

President of the Arizona Republican Party, Robert Graham, said the judge’s decision is a victory for the people of Arizona.

“The reality here is that the whole mission is to protect the integrity of the vote and make sure that everybody’s voices are heard, and not the tainted, or [that have been] potentially taken away if people are doing inappropriate things with these ballots,” he said. 

Graham said he anticipates an appeal by the Democratic Party.