Arizona GOP Introduces Amendment To End Election Day ‘Chaos’

Arizona Republicans introduced a constitutional amendment proposal on Monday that seeks to help end the chaos and mismanagement in the state’s elections.

“Arizonans are tired of excuses and chaos on Election Day. The Arizona Secure Elections Act gives voters clear rules, strong identification standards, and the confidence that only citizens are taking part in our elections,” bill sponsor and GOP Rep. Alexander Kolodin said in a statement. “These are straightforward reforms that put voters first. They ensure our elections run on time, follow the law, and earn the public’s trust.”

Under House Concurrent Resolution 2001, all eligible Arizona voters casting their ballots early (“if” such a process is “authorized by law”) would be required to do so “no later than 7:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the Tuesday general election.” The measure additionally stipulates that “votes shall not be cast or accepted after poll closing times on general Election Day, as designated by law.”

As The Federalist previously reported, Arizona’s late production of election results — a common feature in recent elections — can be largely attributed to an issue within current state law, which allows voters to drop off their early mail ballots by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The large influx of Election Day early ballot drop-offs — all of which must go through the required signature verification process — creates enormous backlogs and delays in producing timely election results.

In response to the state’s delayed 2024 results, the Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill earlier this year that sought to implement the requirement included in HCR 2001 that would mandate all early ballots be returned by 7 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. The measure — which Arizona House Republicans claimed would “ensure prompt processing and reduce late ballot backlogs” — was ultimately vetoed by Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Under the Arizona Constitution, the state legislature may propose constitutional amendments to the state’s founding document. If such a proposal is passed by the House and Senate, it then must go to voters for approval.

In addition to prospective Election Day fixes, HCR 2001 also includes other provisions long supported by election integrity activists. Among them are a voter ID requirement, a mandate that only eligible U.S. citizens can register and vote in elections, a guaranteed “right” to in-person voting on Election Day, and a requirement that all eligible voters “who have provided documented proof of citizenship” must confirm their preferred ballot-delivery address before each biennial election cycle if they wish to receive a mail-in ballot.

The proposed constitutional amendment further includes a provision prohibiting “contributions from any foreign person or foreign corporation to any Arizona candidate or ballot measure.” The provision appears to be aimed at foreign nationals such as Hansjörg Wyss, a Swiss leftist whose Berger Action Fund has pumped millions of dollars into the U.S.-based Sixteen Thirty Fund.

Operating within the left-wing Arabella Advisors “dark money” network, the Wyss-backed Sixteen Thirty Fund is notorious for shelling out millions to Democrat-aligned organizations involved in statewide initiative and constitutional amendment campaigns. According to an October 2024 report by Americans for Public Trust, for example, the group spent “at least” $1.25 million in support of a proposal seeking to enshrine a constitutional “right” to abortion into the Arizona Constitution.

The measure ultimately passed, with 61.6 percent of voters supporting the amendment and 38.4 percent opposing.