The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Davis is a Democratic candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 18:
Nathan Davis
Our right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. When our republic comes under attack by a faction seeking to curtail the right of citizens to vote and participate in government, it is paramount that we remove that faction from power through the ballot box.
We are, once again, witnessing the rollback of voting access across the United States and right here in Arizona. The recent efforts to restrict or eliminate mail-in voting and to undermine the confidence in the outcome of our elections typify the current attacks on the democratic process.
Widespread adoption of mail-in voting in the United States has its roots in the Civil War. In the 1864 election, 19 Union states passed laws to ensure soldiers far from home could participate in that pivotal election. Mail-in voting would continue to be used for soldiers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and eventually many states expanded the option to the civilian population.
In 1991, Arizona voters were allowed to request an absentee ballot for any reason. In 2007, lawmakers created the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) to allow citizens to vote by mail without requesting a mail-in ballot every year.
Today, nearly three-quarters of Arizona voters cast their ballots by mail. Voting by mail is widely used by Republicans, Democrats and Independents. The latest attacks, including last year’s bill to eliminate the PEVL and the recent attempt by the Arizona Republican Party to have the Arizona Supreme Court rule early voting unconstitutional, are an affront to our rights as citizens in a democracy and contrary to the wishes of most Arizonans.
A recent poll by OH Predictive Insights showed that Arizonans (74% overall) support mail-in voting. Additionally, support is very strong among voters aged 55 and older (84%), voters enthusiastic to vote in the upcoming election (81 percent) and voters who have lived in Arizona for more than five years (79%).
I believe that the Arizona Legislature should adopt three key policies to strengthen voting rights and access to the ballot.
First, the Legislature should reinstate the Permanent Early Voting List. Last year Gov. Doug Ducey signed SB 1485, which eliminated the “Permanent” aspect of the PEVL. I fully support the current initiative to restore the PEVL and expand voting accessibility for Arizonans.
Second, the Arizona Legislature should pass a law to allow voters’ mail-in ballots to be counted so long as they are postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks of Election Day. This would end the confusion surrounding when the last day to mail in a ballot is and allow voters all the time they need to deliberate their vote.
Third, the Arizona Legislature should pass legislation to establish Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) and Same Day Voter Registration (SDVR). According to the US Census Bureau, nearly 1 in 4 Arizona citizens over the age of 18 are not registered to vote. With AVR, citizens are automatically registered to vote when they interact with a government agency like the Motor Vehicle Department. (Citizens can opt out of registration after the fact.) SDVR would allow voters to correct errors, such as updating an address or changing a name, or new citizens of Arizona to register to vote on or near Election Day.
The narrative of our nation is one of democratic expansion. Through constitutional amendments and legislation, we expanded citizenship and voting rights to previously excluded groups, including Blacks, Native Americans and women. New technologies allowed for voting to be more easily counted and new policies, such as voting by mail, allowed easier access to the ballot.
I’m running for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 18 to fight for our fundamental and constitutional rights as citizens of both Arizona and the United States. We deserve a legislative majority that will work to expand democratic participation, not place hurdles in the path to progress.
