Arizona Senate Committee Endorses Constitutional Amendment Ending the State’s Popular No-Excuse Mail-in and Early In-Person Voting

Brian Beihl

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 29, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

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

An Arizona Senate committee March 18th endorsed a 2024 constitutional amendment ballot question which would end no-excuse mail-in voting, end in-person early voting, and remove county authority over voting locations. 

HCR 2032 would return the state to an excuse-only absentee system for the first time since 1991.  It would also eliminate the state’s 27 days of early in-person voting, end the ability of counties to run county-wide voting centers, and return to voting to only local precincts.  The Arizona House has already passed legislation with the same intent, but those bills will likely be vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs.

The Arizona Mirror reports that in 2020, 90% of the state’s ballots were cast by mail and 75% in 2022.   It’s popular in part because of long distances to polling places in Arizona’s rural counties and Native American nations, and the state’s substantial elderly population.  

If approved by the Arizona House, the constitutional amendment would not be subject to a governor’s veto.   Voters would have to approve the amendment in the November 2024 general election by a simple 50%+1 majority.

Will the popularity of mail-in and early in-person voting  triumph over conspiracy theories and partisan politics?   Turnout in November’s election will tell.

We have links to HCR 2032 and excellent local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Arizona Legislature – HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 2032
Arizona Public Media – (2020)  Arizona’s long history with voting by mail
The Copper Courier – (2020) A Timeline of Arizona’s Long History of Early Voting

National Conference of State Legislatures – States with In-Person Early Voting
Arizona Mirror – (2022) Republicans helped Arizona champion voting by mail. Now they want it gone.
Arizona Mirror – Republicans want to roll back the clock 30 years and end no-excuse early voting
Arizona Mirror – More than 75% of voters use early ballots. Every AZ House Republican voted to take that away.

Groups Taking Action:
Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans,  National Vote at Home Institute, Common Cause,  League of Women Voters Arizona

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #EarlyVoting #VotebyMail #VoteatHome #Arizona #VoterSuppression