Grand Canyon Times

Arizonans for Voter ID filed the Arizonans for Voter ID Ballot Initiative 2022 with the Secretary of State's Office, an initiative that includes a voter ID for mail-in ballots requirement.  

The initiative was announced at Tuesday afternoon news conference with state Sens. Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert), J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler), and state Reps. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), and Ben Toma (R-Peoria).

“There’s a confidence crisis among many people,” Mesnard said. “How it came to be is somewhat immaterial to the fact that it exists, and by virtue of it existing is a threat to democracy.”

Arizonans for Voter ID said that its initiative would improve existing in-person voter ID requirements, require voter ID on mail-in ballots, prevent third-party collection of mail ballots (ballot harvesting) by enhancing voter ID requirements for in-person ballot drop off and provide a free voter ID option to lawfully registered Arizona voters who need it for voting

“Easy to vote, and hard to cheat – that’s the benchmark for elections,” the group said in a statement. “U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the recent Brnovich v. DNC decision upholding two Arizona election integrity laws stated that, ‘[Arizona law] makes it quite easy for residents to vote.’ Arizonans have the option to vote in-person on Election Day, early in-person beginning 27 days before an election, and by mail with a one-time request or perpetually through the active early voter list – no excuse required.”

Democrats and progressive argue that the only reason such voting measures have been proposed in Arizona is that former President Donald Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to lose the state since 1996. Trump has falsely claimed he lost Arizona due to voter fraud, the Associated Press reports. 

Arizonans for Voter ID noted that poll a conducted in April showed 82% of likely voters support voter ID, and that support includes voters from every race, ethnicity and political persuasion.

Strong support for voter ID should come as no surprise, the group said.

“Arizonans use these forms of identification commonly in their everyday lives to purchase alcohol or cigarettes, obtain a driver’s license, board a commercial flight, donate blood, open a bank account, purchase a firearm, receive unemployment benefits, obtain auto insurance, purchase or rent a home, confirm identity over the phone, and many other basic transactions,” it said

The Initiative is supported by coalition of state and national organizations including Heritage Action, Honest Elections Project, Foundation for Government Accountability, Goldwater Institute, Arizona Women of Action, AMAC Action, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Arizona and EZAZ.org.