The Arizona Voting Rights Coalition denounces bills that would block Arizonans from fully participating in our democracy

PHOENIX — The Arizona Voting Rights Coalition, composed of grassroots voting and civil rights organizations that protect the right to vote in Arizona, has issued the following statement in response to the slew of legislation attacking ballot access for Arizona voters:

“We are witnessing the Arizona legislature actively work to unravel our democratic institutions by chipping away at our constitutional rights. It is the duty of our government to increase access to the polls, not limit it. Yet, we’re seeing some lawmakers abuse their power to introduce bills in an attempt to validate absurd conspiracy theories, rather than introduce bills that uphold and strengthen our democracy.

The bills opposed by the coalition include:

• SB1324/HB2560: The Voter Privacy Violation Act. Publicly posts voters’ name, precinct, year of birth, and street address. Also posts unredacted ballot images and other voting records before the election is final, providing tools for election deniers seeking to overrule the will of the voters.
• SB1143: Attempts to block community voter registration initiatives.
• SB1135: Includes an amendment to remove Arizona from ERIC, which helps accurately manage voter rolls and is utilized by many states.
• SB1066: Unconstitutional restriction on requirements on the process of voter registration and early ballot access that would impact the number of voters who take advantage of mail-in ballots or the AEVL.
• HB2415: Purges voters from the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) if they miss a single election cycle.
• HB2591: Prevents ballot drop boxes from being used outside of the range of Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 AM – 5 PM. Fines voters $1,000 if they try to drop off their ballot outside of this time frame.
• HB2322: Makes it easier to reject ballot signatures.

It is the civic duty of Arizona lawmakers, across party lines, to oppose attempts to limit access to the ballot. The Arizona Legislature is disenfranchising Arizona voters by using our democracy as a vehicle for backroom deals and attempted personal power grabs. Our communities deserve better than this, and we urge all lawmakers to do the right thing by opposing any legislation targeting the right to vote.”