By Nick Phillips || Arizona Capitol Times
Election legislation led to partisan fireworks in the 2022 legislative session, but one significant election reform could potentially get bipartisan backing next year.
The proposal was part of unsuccessful legislation pushed by Republican lawmakers in 2022 and it has been endorsed by Gov. Doug Ducey and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, two moderate GOP figures. Last week, Democratic Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs said she’s open to the idea and Rep. Melody Hernandez, D-Tempe, said on Dec. 21 that if some concerns are addressed, Democrats could get on board.
The idea is to require voters who drop off early ballots on Election Day – and potentially in a small number of days before – to verify their identity at polling sites. That would allow those ballots to be tabulated along with other ballots cast on Election Day, eliminating the time-consuming signature-verification process and delivering final election results faster.
Hobbs told Axios last week that she’s at least willing to consider the plan.
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