Arizona lawmakers yesterday rejected another attempt to ban the practice of people collecting others’ election ballots to turn in. Such a practice was utilized by the group Citizens for a Better Arizona during the successful 2012 recall of then-Senate President Russell Pearce. CBA workers collected early-voting ballots from voters who agreed to have their completed ballot hand-delivered to elections officials to make sure it was counted. A ban on such a practice was included in 2013’s House Bill 2305, a Republican-backed package of changes to election law. Seeing that Democrats, third-party supporters, and other non-Republicans had enough support to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide, the Republican-led Legislature repealed the whole law last year, but Democrats have kept their eye out for any attempts to pass parts of this bill again.
Such an attempt was made yesterday, in which the House Elections Committee voted on a proposal to make it a felony to collect someone else’s ballot. A Republican vote against the bill spelled failure.
“I did not support [H.B.] 2305,” Republican Representative Heather Carter said. “This bill still does not address my concerns.”
She said she has several concerns about the proposal, one of which is that it “could potentially make someone’s aunt or uncle a felon” for making sure their relative’s vote is cast.
Full Article: Ban on Ballot Collection Voted Down by Arizona Lawmakers | Phoenix New Times.