![]() “We should be making it easier for all eligible Arizonans to vote, not harder,” their blueprint reads. And some want all ballots and votes to become public records with digital images.Īlthough Republicans have an advantage in both chambers, state Democrats are hoping for bipartisan support on their blueprint for legislation this year. Other Republicans introduced measures to require paper ballots to be printed with holographic foil, which they say would prevent tampering. She also wants new voter ID requirements and legislation to criminalize people who misplace a voter’s ballot and contractors who do not follow through with election-related work. Kelly Townsend introduced bills related to election audits and to review the security of election equipment. While those measures would restrict voting, Rogers also wants to make primary and general election days paid holidays for all state workers, which could encourage participation in elections. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, wants legislation to set up a government bureau to investigate fraud in elections and prohibit drive-up voting for anyone who is not disabled. THIS SESSION : Before the session started, Arizona Republicans pre-filed nearly a dozen measures to reform elections. That bill was struck down by Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper in September. The third bill included several election integrity policies including stripping election officials of their authority. Another bill requires the state to throw out mail-in ballots that are not cured of missing signatures by 7 p.m. One bill made Arizona’s early voter list less permanent by requiring counties to stop sending early ballots to people who have not used early voting in either of the last two statewide or federal elections. By the end of the year, the state passed three restrictive voting bills. LAST SESSION : Early in 2021, Arizona led the nation in proposed legislation that would make it harder for people to vote. Here’s a look at states to watch, the voting restrictions that emerged last year, and what could be coming in 2022: ARIZONA “We’re already seeing it, in bills to make it harder to vote and to enable partisans to sabotage elections.” “All indications are that the tidal wave of efforts to restrict and undermine the vote that we saw last year will continue through 2022,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, acting director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center. Most of the states where restrictive laws are likely this year also passed or attempted to pass similarly restrictive laws last year. Without federal legislation to block Republican lawmakers’ efforts, experts warn the United States is likely to see a similar “ tidal wave ” of restrictive voting laws this year. There are 88 voter restriction bills in nine states from the 2021 legislative session that will roll over to the 2022 session, according to the Brennan Center. The analysis from early December found that before the 2022 session even started, state legislators were pre-filing bills to make it harder to cast a ballot and to allow “audits” of election results. In 2021, at least 19 states enacted 34 laws restricting access to voting, according to an analysis by the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice.
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