Arizona’s Voting Rights Debate Continues as Early Voting Initiative Stumbles
Arizona voters will not decide on enshrining early voting and mail-in voting rights into the state constitution this November. However, the debate over voting procedures in the state is far from over, as another proposal that could drastically alter the current system is still on the table.
Stacy Pearson, representing the Protect the Vote Arizona campaign, indicated that organizers managed to gather approximately 439,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot. While this number surpasses the required 383,923 valid signatures, Pearson acknowledged that typical errors in such petitions are likely to reduce the count below the necessary threshold.
Organizers have opted not to submit the petitions, citing concerns about providing “critical information to election-denying politicians” such as Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, according to Pearson.
Attention now shifts to a separate proposal crafted by Republican state Rep. Alexander Kolodin. This initiative, already approved for the ballot by the GOP-majority Legislature, seeks to introduce various election-related changes. These changes include adjustments to ballot tabulation locations and restrictions on foreign donations in political campaigns.
Kolodin’s proposal also mandates that voters present “valid government issued proof of identity” before voting. Opponents fear that such a requirement could effectively dismantle mail-in voting, which is utilized by over 80% of Arizona voters, leaving the details to future legislative decisions.
Gina Swoboda, a Republican primary candidate for secretary of state, criticized the proposal, calling it a “stealth attempt, in my opinion, to kill voting by mail.” She pointed out the lack of clarity on how voters would comply with the ID requirement when using mail ballots.
Pearson mentioned that remaining funds from the Protect the Vote campaign, largely supported by unions like the United Food and Commercial Workers, will be used to challenge Kolodin’s measure in court. Tempe Councilman Randy Keating leads this legal effort, arguing that Kolodin’s proposal unfairly bundles multiple issues into a single decision for voters.
The legal challenge accuses Kolodin of forcing voters to accept or reject the entire proposal, despite potentially supporting only parts of it, like the stipulation that only U.S. citizens can vote. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Adele Ponce has yet to set a hearing date for this case.
If the court challenge fails, Pearson plans to rally voter opposition to the proposal in November. “There will be a robust ‘no’ campaign,” she stated.
Kolodin, meanwhile, celebrated the failure of the Protect the Vote Arizona campaign to qualify for the ballot, framing it as a victory over adversaries like “Democrat Adrian Fontes” and “the radical left,” who he claims oppose his ballot referral.
Swoboda emphasized the potential threats to voting secrecy posed by Kolodin’s proposal, expressing concerns about voters being required to include copies of their ID with mail ballots, thereby compromising ballot confidentiality.
Before 1991, Arizona did not have universal early voting; voters had to provide a reason to receive a mail ballot. The state relaxed these requirements, allowing no-excuse early voting. The practice remained largely uncontroversial until the 2020 election, when unfounded claims of fraud related to mail-in ballots emerged.
Kolodin, representing the Arizona Republican Party, previously sued to end early voting, asserting it violated the state constitution’s requirement for secret voting. His argument, which suggested that only in-person voting can ensure secrecy, was dismissed by the Arizona Supreme Court.
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