Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs recently vetoed HB 2560, a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing voter confidence in Arizona by increasing election transparency.

Despite support on both sides of the aisle, Hobbs vetoed it and several other bills on May 22, a FOX 10 Phoenix report said.

"I couldn't be more furious at the governor's decision to disregard the need for complete transparency in our elections," state Sen. Ken Bennett (R-Prescott) recently told the Grand Canyon Times. "Voting is the sacred way we as Americans give our consent to be governed, and the people of Arizona should have confidence in the integrity of that process. To increase voter confidence, we need to demystify the election process and allow the public the transparency it deserves. In order to have this in place by the 2024 elections, we need legislation signed this session, not a year from now."

HB 2560, which Bennett co-sponsored, would have allowed the public to use a secure portal provided by the secretary of state's office to download public documents, including the anonymous ballot images and spreadsheet where the votes are tabulated, known as a cast-vote record, a release from Bennett's office said. Under the bill, the data would be available to the public in a way that protected the identity of voters while simultaneously allowing the public to verify that voters were properly recorded and the number of ballots matched the number of voters in each county.

Hobbs cited privacy concerns as well as concerns over "additional election mis- and dis-information" as key reasons for her veto.

Bennett said that the governor's estimate "couldn't be further from the truth."

"There is nothing in this bill that would have disclosed information to threaten either," he added. Voters' identities would be protected. This bill would have helped eliminate mis- and dis-information and is a solution to this serious issue. I worked hard with both sides of the aisle for two years to address the lack of trust in our state's elections, which is why this bill had bipartisan support, including from Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes."

Several key Democrats voiced their support for the bill and urged Hobbs to sign it. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried wrote a letter to Hobbs on May 20.

"The bill passed by your Legislature provides an unparalleled opportunity to enhance election accuracy, assist with efficient and reliable recounts, and promote the credibility of our election outcomes," Fried said. "In my view, HB 2560 is the type of election reform that should be embraced by everyone involved in the election process. It should not be a partisan issue. This legislation is an example of good government and is precisely what we need now as we prepare for the important 2024 Elections."

Douglas Kellner, Democratic co-chair of the New York State Board of Elections, said he felt the bill "significantly improves the transparency of elections in Arizona."

Bennie Smith, Democratic commissioner for the Tennessee State Election Commission, also urged Hobbs to support the bill. Having served in several election positions before his current one, Smith said that requiring ballot images to be posted publicly and timely is "one of the most significant steps in documenting election results. [Those images provide] prima facie evidence and privacy at the same time because they do not trace back to the voter once the ballot has been cast."

A poll conducted in March showed that 28% of Arizonans were "not too confident" or "not confident at all" in the state's elections, a report from The Center Square said.