Arizona Governor Doug Ducey Signs Election Integrity Bill Reforming Absentee Voting

On Tuesday, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed an election integrity bill, known as S.B. 1485, into law.

The bill rescinds the Grand Canyon State’s Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL) and establishes the Active Early Voting List (AEVL), which now requires those who are on the early voter list to vote in at least one election during a four-year cycle in order to receive a mail-in ballot for the next election automatically. If a county recorder’s office doesn’t hear from the voter via mail, the office may also reach out via telephone, text message, or email.

“Today I’m signing S.B. 1485. This bill is simple. It’s all about election integrity. If an individual is signed up to automatically be mailed an early ballot, and then stops voting entirely for a full four years, their country recorder will ask them if they still want to automatically be mailed a ballot. If they respond, they’ll continue receiving one,” Ducey explained in a video address posted to Twitter.

“If they don’t respond, here’s what happens. They will remain a registered voter,” he said. “They can still request an early ballot. And they can also show up at the polls in person on Election Day.”

According to the governor, Arizona’s newly-minted election integrity law is fairer than election laws in Democrat-run states, like California, because voters are contacted before being pulled off the vote-by-mail roster.

“This change will ensure active voters continue to receive a ballot and free up resources for county recorders to use on priorities, like election security and voter education,” Ducey said.

Democratic opponents of the bill have repeatedly said people of color would be disproportionately impacted by the change.

“The desperate desire of one party to game the system and hold onto power by erecting hurdles for voters of color and those with limited means overwhelmed any professed support for good public policy,” House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding  (D) said in a statement, according to NPR. “Democrats, independents, seniors, Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, women, and young people — if you ever believed that your voice and your vote didn’t matter, this bill is an absolute reminder that it does.”

Ducey, however, disagreed with the claim.

“Let’s be clear. Despite all the deceptive and heated rhetoric being used by some partisan activists to lobby against this reform, not a single Arizona voter will lose their right to vote as a result of this new law,” the governor explained.

NEW: Arizona is a national leader when it comes to election integrity and access to the ballot box, and today I signed #SB1485 to continue that legacy. 1/ pic.twitter.com/BHkyOCEh9J

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) May 11, 2021

State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R), who introduced the bill, said it’s necessary for early voting rolls to remain up-to-date, especially as more people utilize the option.

“It’s protecting elections and keeping the list up-to-date and accurate,” Sen. Ugenti-Rita said in a statement, according to ABC 15. “The people on the list are opting-in to use this option. It needs to be regularly updated to make sure the people who are on the list to receive a ballot are voters who are taking advantage of the vote-by-mail option.”

The bill passed in the Senate 16 to 14 along party lines earlier in the day on Tuesday.

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