PHOENIX — Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs delivered her promised veto Tuesday of a Republican bill to revamp the deadline to turn in early ballots.
But Hobbs, in her message to lawmakers, chose to focus her objections to House Bill 2703 on a lesser-known provision, one she said would undermine the system that allows people to get their ballots by mail without having to make annual requests.
That change would affect far more Arizonans than the 265,000 who would lose their ability to drop off their early ballots on Election Day, the key provision in the now-vetoed measure.
Proponents argued the Election Day deadline slows up the process of getting election results. That’s because early ballots submitted on Election Day cannot be counted until after the signatures are compared, which can’t occur until after the polls are closed.
Gov. Katie Hobbs
Changing the deadline to the Friday before the election, they argued, would allow those ballot envelopes to be opened and tallied before the big rush on Election Day.
Hobbs, in her veto message, pointed to another provision.
“This legislation effectively ends the Active Early Voting List, something that has nothing to do with faster election results, but disenfranchises voters by additional additional steps for the hundreds of thousands of voters who prefer to vote by mail,’’ she said. “Making it less convenient to vote is something I have consistently said I cannot support.’’
As it is now, individuals can sign up for the Active Early Voting List to ensure they will get a ballot in the mail.
Under current law, individuals who use those early ballots on a regular basis continue to get them ahead of every election. Right now there are nearly 3.3 million Arizonans on that list — three out of every four people registered to vote.
HB 2703 sought to change that, saying anyone who is an early mail voter would have to take an “affirmative act’’ before every election cycle in the state’s two largest counties — or every other cycle elsewhere — confirming their address.
Scottsdale Republican Rep. Alexander Kolodin said such confirmation would ensures the person got the early ballot at their address. On the flip side, he said it prevents early ballots going out to homes where people no longer live, something he said is bad for election security.
Hobbs chided lawmakers for adding that additional hurdle.
On Monday, anticipating the veto, the House approved HCR 2013 which contains all of the same provisions — but in a form to go directly to voters in 2026.
