By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services
Key Points:
- A ballot proposal would confirm voting by mail in the state Constitution
- A GOP lawmaker wants control over early voting to remain within the Legislature
- Because of early voting rules, Arizona is among the last states to verify results
A new initiative seeks to ask Arizona voters whether they want to constitutionally preserve the right that nearly 90% of them use: to vote early and even drop off their ballots on Election Day.
A petition drive has been launched by a group calling itself Protect the Vote Arizona to add a provision to the Arizona Constitution recognizing a “fundamental right” to vote early and on Election Day. And that, according to Stacy Pearson, whose Lumen Strategies is managing the campaign, includes not just showing up in person to cast a ballot but also dropping off the ballots that were mailed to their homes.
What it also would cement into the Constitution is that the right to vote early can be exercised “without providing a reason or excuse.”
