Mary Jo PitzlArizona Republic
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Since the 2020 presidential election, bills to change how Arizona votes have flooded the Legislature. Yet little has changed in election law as 2024 looms.
This year's spate of election bills — from proposals to require hand counts of ballot to a ban on ballot drop boxes — passed the GOP-controlled Legislature only to be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, a former secretary of state.
Last year, when Republicans held the House, Senate and the Governor's Office, similar bills didn't even get to then-Gov. Doug Ducey's desk. They were sidelined by legislative leaders or killed on a narrow vote margin, to the consternation of many Republicans.
All of which means the 2024 election will run pretty much as before, from voter registration to early voting, despite persistent skepticism about the process.
"It’s very similar to the processes of two years ago," said Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. And of 2020, and years prior, he added.
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There's a reason for the status quo, said Alex Gulotta, state director of All Voting is Local, which promotes broader voting rights.
"Here’s the thing: There isn’t a basic problem with our elections," Gulotta said. "There’s been a lot of misinformation and disinformation, and that’s been a problem.”
Gulotta said many of the bills crafted in the wake of the still-disputed 2020 presidential election were simply bad ideas.
“They’re not designed to make our system better," he said. "Many of them responded to the conspiracy and lies that happened after the 2020 election.”
Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills and a legislative veteran, said election issues have become so radioactive that almost any election bill is tainted, regardless of its merits.
"I don’t think people want to get near it," he said, referring to election issues.
Two measures did pass this year and got Hobbs' signature. They are election-related but won't alter how votes are cast.
Senate Bill 1273 requires a written statement to be included in all early ballot envelopes, as well as posted at voting sites, that explains the state's ban on so-called "ballot harvesting," which has been law for several election cycles. Voters only can return their own ballot or that of certain family members.
Another measure, SB 1061, will allow elections officials to ask a court to mask their personal information in public documents, a response to growing threats against election workers.
Both bills become law on Oct. 30.
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Despite little change on the elections front, there's room for improvement, Richer said. Early this year, he offered several proposed changes to the legal structure of elections, none of which gained traction.
He acknowledged the legislative process is intended to be rigorous, which is why many bills fail.
Like Kavanagh, he was disappointed that bills that had broad-based support, such as those from the state's 15 county recorders, didn't win favor with the governor.
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To Laura Dent, director of Activate 48, it's time to stop playing defense on election bills and turn attention to bills that she views as more supportive of voters. Activate 48 is a coalition of four nonprofits that promote voter education and voting rights, among other issues.
Dent said the state needs more bills like this year's SB 1330, which would have expanded to five hours the paid time off employees could have to vote. Current law is three hours. The bill, however, never got to a public hearing.
Although Dent, like Gulotta, would like to see a more "affirmative" approach to election procedures, she said the backstop for now is Hobbs' veto stamp.
But she's hopeful that lawmakers would consider bills that she considers more voter-friendly.
Yet to come are recommendations from Hobbs' Bipartisan Elections Task Force. The 18-member group is tasked with coming up with changes to elections procedures that can garner support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The panel is looking at a range of ideas, from ways to speed up vote counting to making voting more accessible for Arizona's disabled community.
Its final report is due in November.
Reach the reporter atmaryjo.pitzl@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-228-7566 and follow her on Twitter and Threads@maryjpitzl.
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