Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Feb. 18 vetoed a bill aimed at speeding up ballot counting in the state, citing concerns that it would make voting more difficult.
House Bill 2703, introduced by Republican state Rep. Laurin Hendrix, would have changed Arizona election laws by eliminating emergency voting centers and setting a new deadline for voters to drop off early ballots.
Hobbs said earlier this month that she would veto the measure amid concerns that it could create difficulties for voters, leading to negotiations with lawmakers that ultimately stalled.
In a Feb. 18 statement posted to the social media platform X, Hobbs said she had offered compromises that would have sped up election results in the state while also protecting voting rights.
Those compromises were ultimately rejected, prompting her to veto the measure, the governor said.
Hobbs said she was concerned that the legislation would restrict late-early ballot drop-offs and effectively end Arizona’s Active Early Voting List, therefore “gutting the vote-by-mail program that countless Arizonans rely on.”
“I offered compromises that include that change, but also policies like same-day voter registration, cross-county portability of registration, and more assistance for eligible voters to return their ballots to protect voter access,” Hobbs stated. “Compromise was rejected.”
Election results in Arizona tend to come in later than in other states, in part because of a state-mandated signature verification process for mail ballots and a surge in emergency voting during the weekend before Election Day.
Under current law, voters can drop off their mail ballots at polling places until 7 p.m. on Election Day. As a result, the state has taken close to two weeks to report its results in recent elections.
Share your thoughts by scrolling down to leave a comment.
