Arizona Governor Signs Election Reform Bill Updating Eligibility to Remain on Early Voting List
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a bill that updates eligibility requirements to remain on the state’s early voting list in an effort to protect the integrity of elections.
The law, Senate Bill 1485, seeks to keep only active voters on the “Active Early Voting List,” who wish to vote by mail in elections. Voters who do not return at least one early ballot over the course of four years, or two consecutive primary elections and general elections, will be sent a postcard asking whether they wish to stay on that list. The voter could also be notified via telephone, text message, or email. If they do not respond, then they could be removed from that list.
May 11, 2021 5:55 p.m.
Arizona’s Republican Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday signed legislation into law that opponents have described as a “purge” of the state’s popular early voting list.
SB 1485, which Republicans had unsuccessfully tried multiple times to get to Ducey’s desk before Tuesday, removes voters from the state’s list to automatically receive an early mail-in ballot if they do not vote by mail in two election cycles, and subsequently do not respond to a notice from election officials.
The state’s popular “Permanent Early Voting List,” in other words, has been changed to an “Active Early Voting List.”
After hours of contentious debate, Arizona House Republicans approved a bill that would purge voters from the state’s popular mail-ballot system.
Senate Bill 1485 would end the permanent aspect of the Permanent Early Voting List, the roster of voters who’ve elected to receive a ballot by mail weeks before Election Day. The Republican-approved measure would remove voters from the list if they don’t use that early ballot to vote for two consecutive two-year election cycles.
The bill had stalled for over a month in the House after narrowly clearing the Senate in March.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, held a fiery press conference on Monday where she lashed out at the bill’s critics, but also promised changes to the bill to make it more palatable. A day later, before approving the bill on a 31-29 party line vote, Republicans adopted amendments to SB 1485 to give voters who fail to vote often enough more time to respond to confirm to election offic
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