Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Force State To Leave ERIC

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, May 26, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed at least four more election bills, including one that would have required Arizona to leave the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). The bills were passed by the Arizona Legislature, but the slim Republican majority in both chambers does not have enough votes to override Hobbs’ vetoes.

Senate Bill 1135 would have pulled Arizona out of ERIC, an opt-in coalition of states that share information to help maintain accurate voter rolls. Recently, a wave of GOP-controlled states, inspired by election conspiracies, have withdrawn from ERIC. 

Specifically, S.B. 1135 would have prohibited the state or any political subdivision from being “a member of any multistate voter registration or voter registration list maintenance organization” that required otherwise confidential voter registration records to be shared or required the state to conduct voter registration outreach to eligible but unregistered voters.

Last week, Oklahoma — which is currently not a member of ERIC — enacted a similar bill that prevents the state from joining any multistate organizations that require outreach to eligible but unregistered voters, among other expectations.

“It is unfortunate that many Republicans in the Legislature continue to fan the flames of false allegations of voter fraud, yet send to my desk a bill that would prevent Arizona from joining organizations that actually help improve the integrity of our elections,” Hobbs wrote in her veto message, calling ERIC an “essential tool.” 

Last Friday, Hobbs also vetoed Senate Bill 1066, which would have required any nongovernmental entity sending election-related information to include the boldfaced words “NOT FROM A GOVERNMENT AGENCY” on materials, Senate Bill 1105, which would have required on-site, Election Day tabulation of all early ballots, and Senate Bill 1180, which would have banned any person from being paid based on the number of voter registration forms they collect. Hobbs has already vetoed numerous other restrictive voting bills this legislative session.

Read the vetoed bills here: S.B. 1066, S.B. 1105, S.B. 1135 and S.B. 1180.