HUGE GOP WIN: Arizona Senate passes bill prohibiting election officials from mailing unsolicited ballots

The Arizona Senate passed a bill prohibiting election officials from mailing unsolicited ballots.

SB 1485 aims to further strengthen election integrity by updating early voting lists by removing inactive voters. Individuals who have not participated in the last four elections and who fail to respond to notices will be removed. However, the legislation will not be implemented until 2025, after the upcoming 2022 and 2024 elections. The bill passed in the House last month and landed a 16-14 vote along party lines in the Senate.

Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill into law amidst both heavy support and opposition. Upon his decision, the Governor said, “Others have suggested that ‘now is not the time’ for election reform. I could not disagree more. The politics of the moment should not impede good policy, and SB1485 is a measure that ensures our voting lists remain verifiable and accurate, will free up resources for local election officials, and strengthen trust among citizens in our election system.”

The Brennan Center for Justice writes, “In a backlash to 2020’s historic voter turnout and unprecedented vote-by-mail usage, state lawmakers have imposed a variety of significant restrictions on both mail voting and in-person voting.” Following a controversial 2020 Presidential Election, Arizona was one of the multiple states to organize audits. They are also among the states to enact new voting legislation and upcoming concerns regarding election integrity.