PHOENIX — In the wake of President Donald Trump’s defeat in an election with a record-high turnout, Republican lawmakers across the country are filing legislation whose goal appears to be lowering turnout.
Arizona is no different. Republicans want to ensure 2020 doesn’t happen again - an election, many at the Capitol believe, that Trump didn’t lose.
Many of the Arizona bills would make it harder to vote. One would go as far as throwing out your vote in a presidential election. Most address problems that don’t exist.
Here are five bills to watch:
Veto Your Vote: The most extreme piece of legislation would let lawmakers substitute their vote for your vote in presidential elections, by giving them veto power over your candidates’ electors.
If this bill had been the law in November, Republican lawmakers could have undone Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona. Bill Number: SB2720
A vast majority of Arizonans agree on one thing: They like voting early by mail. About 75 percent of voters in Maricopa County cast their ballots by mail. But lawmakers want to make that harder.
Notary Needed: One bill would require you to get your signature on an early ballot notarized, a likely unconstitutional provision. Bill Number: HB2369
One-Way Early Ballot: Another would remove the “mail-in” from mail-in balloting.
Your ballot would be mailed to you by your county elections office, but you couldn’t mail it back. You would have to drop it off in person at a voting place or the elections office. Bill Number: SB1503
Scrubbing Early Voters: A third early-voting bill, being watched closely by voting rights advocates, would scrub the Permanent Early Voting List of an estimated 100,000 voters. (Another bill - a nonstarter - would abolish PEVL.) Bill Number: SB1069
Limiting Registration Drives: Voter outreach has expanded in recent years - but lawmakers would limit voter registration drives by county elections officials. Bill Number: SB1358
Entering the second month of the legislative session, many of the elections bills have already had their first committee hearing. If they were passed by a committee, they would head to votes in their respective chambers.
Some might never get a committee hearing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re dead. No bill is dead until the legislative session ends in the spring.
How to Get Involved at the Capitol
If you would like to contact a lawmaker or make your voice heard on legislation:
- Click here to find your legislators (two represent you in the House, one in the Senate).
- Here are links with emails and office numbers of House and Senate members.
- If you want to take it to the next level, you can request to speak on a bill (or just lodge your support or opposition online) by using this link.
- Look up a bill by going to this link.
Arizona Politics
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