WASHINGTON — Last week, every single Arizona House Republican voted for a bill that would end no-excuse absentee voting by mail, a voting method utilized by a vast majority of Arizonans. Almost 90 percent of ballots cast by Arizonans in 2020 were mail-in ballots, and in 2022, 75 percent of voters signed up to receive early ballots. Currently, any voter in Arizona can vote by early mail-in ballot – Republicans themselves legalized the practice in 1991. But the MAGA Arizona Republican legislature of today is a different beast, hellbent on infringing upon voting rights and spreading dangerous election conspiracy theories.
The bill now heads to the Senate, and could pass the Republican-controlled chamber. Republicans have made the Arizona Legislature a hotbed for extremism – just last month, Arizona House Republicans passed a bill along party lines to ban voting centers, along with on-site early voting locations. Unfortunately, this is part of a wider pattern of Republicans across the country weaponizing voter suppression tactics and misinformation to undermine voter turnout. From gerrymandering and voter intimidation to attacking nonpartisan election officials and undermining faith in our democracy itself, Republicans are on a dangerous crusade to attack our election systems.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Communications Director Abhi Rahman issued the following statement:
“Voting rights are among the most sacred foundations of our democracy, yet Republicans continue to work in lockstep to undermine access to the ballot box. Voting by mail is a safe, secure path to participate in our democracy – Republicans even supported establishing this practice in Arizona. But today’s Arizona Republican Partyis defined by extremism, and this bill is just their latest attempt to sow mistrust and suppress voter turnout – all in a thinly-veiled attempt to hold onto their power. As long as MAGA Republicans are in the majority in the legislature, democracy and voting rights are under threat.
“The only way to put an end to this crusade on our voting rights is to elect Democrats to state legislatures across the country, with both chambers in Arizona being top targets for the DLCC. Arizona Republicans have proven themselves too extreme and out of step with the people of Arizona to govern and it is time for a change. Arizonans deserve Democratic leadership who will protect the right to vote and work with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs to block this type of extremism that threatens our very democracy.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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