Voting by mail has become a popular voting option among many voters. In states like Arizona, however, mail-in ballots will now have to be requested and not automatically sent to voters.
House Bill 2905 has successfully passed through the Arizona House and Senate, requiring that citizens request ballots if they wish to vote early. The bill’s text states that county recorders and election officials cannot mail an early ballot to anyone who has not requested one for that specific election.
Further, the bill clarifies that any election official who violates this provision has committed a Class 5 felony.
According to Vote 411, Arizona allows for no-excuse absentee voting and sends out absentee ballots 27 days before Election Day. For voters who prefer to vote in-person at their designated polling place, according to the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, the state commences in-person early voting 27 days before Election Day.
If finalized, the mail-in ballot stipulations will be added to Arizona’s list of election laws.
Arizona does not allow ballot harvesting, voting for felons, the reception of mail-in ballots after Election Day, automatic voter registration or same-day voter registration. Additionally, Arizona mandates that voters show a photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID to cast a ballot.
The National Review reports that the bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform concluded that “Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud” and that the widespread use of those types of ballots “increases the risks of fraud and of contested elections.”
