Arizona Governor Vetoes Three Election Bills
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, April 6, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed three election bills: House Bill 2322, House Bill 2415 and Senate Bill 1074. Both chambers of the Arizona Legislature are narrowly controlled by Republicans who do not have the numbers to override any veto from Hobbs.
H.B. 2322 would have codified signature verification guidelines for mail-in ballots outlined in a July 2020 guidance from the secretary of state. Hobbs served as secretary of state at the time, meaning her office drew up the rules. However, as she wrote in her veto message, “The standards in this bill are already several years old.” H.B. 2322 received some Democratic support in the House and was one of the few bipartisan election bills to pass this session.
H.B. 2415 would have removed voters from Arizona’s permanent mail-in voting list if they failed to vote in one election cycle. Currently, election officials automatically send voters on the list mail-in ballots before each election; however, voters are removed from the list if they fail to vote in two consecutive election cycles. H.B. 2415 passed on purely party line votes, with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against. “Arizona’s Active Early Voting List is secure and convenient for voters,” Hobbs said in her veto letter. “I stand ready to sign bills that make voting more accessible, accurate and secure. This bill accomplishes none of these goals.”
S.B. 1074 would have effectively banned electronic ballot tabulators. The bill imposed numerous restrictions, including requiring 100% of the components of a machine to be manufactured in the United States. According to the executive director of the Arizona Association of Counties, that type of equipment does not currently exist.