At 2 p.m today, the Senate Government Committee will hold a hearing on SB1069, a bill introduced by State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita that would purge hundreds of thousands of people from the permanent vote-by-mail list. The bill is one of a series of voter suppression bills currently under consideration by the Arizona State Legislature, alongside these:
HB2369 (Representative Kevin Payne): Would require early ballots to be notarized, essentially establishing a poll tax.
HB2370 (Representative Kevin Payne): Would eliminate permanent vote by mail list entirely.
HCR2001 (Representative John Kavanagh): Would undermine the citizen ballot initiative process by imposing a “single subject rule,” making it easier to use a technicality to challenge a ballot measure.
These proposals come just weeks after an armed attack on the U.S. Capitol that attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. That attack was sparked by lies about the 2020 election, which multiple sitting Arizona federal and state lawmakers helped to spread.
In response to the proposed bills, a coalition of Arizona community organizations and voting rights groups issued the following statement:
“These bills are blatant attempts at voter suppression, part of a larger pattern of attacks on our democratic norms. Many of the lawmakers pushing these bills are the same lawmakers who spread lies about the 2020 election. Others have moved to limit participation in the legislative process by barring remote testimony during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Arizonans, we are determined to stop these bills. Together, we must uplift and reaffirm our state’s commitment to democracy.”
The following organizations signed this statement:
All Voting is Local Action Arizona
Arizona Advocacy Network
Arizona AFL-CIO
Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy (CASE)
Chispa Arizona
Civic Engagement Beyond Voting
Congregations Rising Arizona Organizing Neighborhoods (CORAZÓN)
Fuerte Arts Movement
Healthcare Rising Arizona
Indivisible Arizona
Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA)
Mi Familia Vota
Opportunity Arizona
Our Voice, Our Vote Arizona
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona
Progress Arizona
Rural Arizona Action
Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter