The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 20, 2025
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill February 18th which would have restricted how and when mail-in ballots could be returned, and hobbled the state’s long-running permanent vote-by-mail list. Republicans argue it would speed up election results.
Arizona bipartisanly adopted a no excuse mail-in voting law in 1991, then added a permanent vote-by-mail list in 2007. An estimated 75% of Arizona voters used mail-in voting in 2022, with few abuses over decades.
Yet HB 2703 would have required voters on the permanent mail-in voting list to confirm their address each election cycle or be dropped. It changed in-person return rules for mail ballots, restricting returns to a county recorder’s office by the Friday before election day, or instead wait in line election day to personally scan the ballot. In 2024, 264,000 Arizonans returned their ballot on election day, according to the Arizona Mirror.
The bill also gave counties the right to commandeer schools for election precincts. We reported last year that some districts declined to use schools as polling locations, fearing armed vigilantes and other political violence on school grounds.
Not to be denied, Arizona House Republicans proposed a constitutional amendment, HCR 2013, using HB 2703’s restrictions. If passed by the House and Senate, it’s not subject to veto, and would appear on the 2026 state ballot.
We linked Governor Hobb’s veto statement at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Arizona Legislature – HOUSE BILL 2703
Gov. Katie Hobbs – Veto Statement for House Bill 2703
Arizona Mirror – Hobbs vetoes Republican plan to end Election Day ballot drop-offs
Arizona Mirror – (2024) More than 75% of voters use early ballots. Every AZ House Republican voted to take that away.
American Democracy Minute (2024) Fearing Violence, Schools Opt Out as Polling Places
Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause AZ, Arizona Democracy Resource Center
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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