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Today’s Links

Articles:
The Arizona Mirror – Whiplash: Free and Fair Elections Act won’t be on the ballot after last-minute math changes

BallotPedia – Arizona Election and Voting Policies Initiative (2022)

Washington Examiner –  Arizona initiative to overturn several election laws pulled from fall ballot
Full Initiative Text –  (For) I‐16‐2022 ‐ Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections
Groups Taking Action:  Arizonans for Fair Elections, Campaign Legal Center

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Who-done-it fans, today we have the case of the invalidated signatures.   

A voting rights reform initiative in Arizona has come to a tragic end, with the victim apparently being killed by a judge, with a calculator, in the courtroom.

The Arizona Mirror reports that the Arizona Free and Fair Elections Act had to gather at least 237,645 signatures to get the measure on the ballot.   On August 24th, the Arizona Secretary of State certified that 298,878 signatures were found valid – more than enough cushion.  Then a challenge by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club over the eligibility of the signature collectors invalidated 75,000, but they still had enough.  The same judge certified 239,926 signatures, 2,281 more than needed.

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club again took the case to the state supreme court, which said the lower court’s math was wrong, returning it to the same judge, who then disqualified enough signatures  to be 1500 short.   

Before its untimely death under suspicious circumstances, it would have implemented early voting, automatic and same-day voter registration, created voting policies benefiting tribal nations and disabled voters, cleaned up the Presidential elector rules, and created campaign contribution limits.  It also would have reformed the very voter initiative process which doomed the effort.   Was it the judge, or a conspiracy?  

Links to articles and the group behind the initiative are at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.

Granny D said, Democracy is not something we HAVE, it’s something we DO!  For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl

Links to articles and groups taking action are at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it’s something we DO.” 

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl