Phoenix — Federal judges in Phoenix and Las Vegas were hearing nearly identical lawsuits Thursday filed by state Democratic party officials that seek to stop what they call voter intimidation by Republicans.

Similar suits were filed in Pennsylvania and Ohio seeking court orders intended to block volunteer GOP poll watchers from harassing people headed to the polls.

The lawsuits target the state Republican parties, Donald Trump’s campaign, and Roger Stone and his group called “Stop the Steal” that’s organizing what it calls “citizen journalists” and “poll watchers.”

The Trump campaign says the lawsuits are long on rhetoric and short on substance and designed to distract from Hillary Clinton’s troubles.

In the Phoenix lawsuit, attorneys for Trump and the state GOP are urging U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi to reject what they called an emergency request to prohibit hypothetical political conduct by unidentified people.

The lawyers said the Democrats are citing “opaque remarks in public speeches by political candidates as the basis for four cookie-cutter lawsuits filed across the country to garner headlines and cause chaos in the efforts of their political opponents.”

Republican court briefings also say there’s no evidence that any intimidation is happening. State and federal laws already bar intimidation and the Democrats are asking for orders that would unconstitutionally bar protected political speech, the documents state.

The Democrats allege that Trump’s calls to supporters to show up at the polls to prevent voter fraud is a call to illegal intimidation tactics. They say Stone is organizing volunteer poll watchers to confront voters.

The lawsuits cite provisions of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that prohibit intimidating or threatening voters.

Tuchi is set to hear from both sides in the case. It was unclear when he would rule.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware in Las Vegas has said the hearing there will help him decide by the weekend on a request by Democrats for a restraining order telling Trump supporters not to harass voters at polls.

Boulware heard several hours of testimony Wednesday and suggested any order he might issue could amount to having Republicans send a memo to volunteer poll-watchers about laws they have to follow if they challenge a voter’s eligibility.