Arizona House Advances Initiative To End Delayed Election Results
Arizona’s House advanced House Concurrent Resolution 2001, the Arizona Secure Elections Act, a constitutional amendment aimed at ending post-election chaos by tightening ballot deadlines and adding election-integrity measures. The bill would require all early ballots to be received by 7:00 p.m.on the Friday before Election Day, with USPS-delivered ballots allowed to arrive untill polls close; voters who are already in line at closing would still be permitted to vote. It would also prohibit votes after polls close and clarify that those waiting in line by closing can still cast a ballot. In addition to timing rules, the measure includes voter-ID requirements, a stipulation that only U.S. citizens may register and vote, a ban on foreign nationals influencing elections, and a mandate that voters provide documented citizenship proof and confirm their ballot-delivery address before each biennial election cycle. The final House vote was 32–27 with one member not voting,and the measure heads to the Senate before facing voters in the 2026 election if approved. The article notes that delays in Arizona’s election results have been linked to current law allowing late, signature-verified drop-offs of early ballots and that a similar bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs previously.
The Arizona House of Representatives advanced a constitutional amendment on Monday that seeks to end the state’s post-Election Day chaos and delayed election results.
“Arizonans are done with excuses, delays, and chaos in our elections,” amendment sponsor and Republican Rep. Alexander Kolodin said in a statement.
Under House Concurrent Resolution 2001 (“The Arizona Secure Elections Act”), 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 Election, except that early ballots delivered through the United States Postal Service may be accepted until the closing of polls on Election Day.” The measure furthermore stipulates that no votes “shall be accepted or cast” after polls close but clarifies that eligible voters still waiting in line “by the time polls close shall be permitted to vote.”
The final House vote was 32-27, with one representative not voting.
As The Federalist previously reported, Arizona’s late production of election results — a common feature in recent contests — can be largely attributed to an issue within current state law, which permits 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 backlogs and delays in producing timely election results.
Following the Grand Canyon State’s delayed 2024 election results, the Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill that included a similar requirement included in HCR 2001 that mandated all early ballots to be received by 7 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. The measure was ultimately vetoed by Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is seeking reelection this fall.
Under the Arizona Constitution, the state legislature may propose constitutional amendments to the state’s founding document without the governor’s signature. If such a proposal is passed by the House and Senate, it then must go to voters for approval.
Proposed fixes to Arizona’s delayed election results aren’t the only provisions included in HCR 2001, however. The measure also includes several policies long supported by election integrity activists.
Among these include a voter ID requirement, a mandate that only U.S. citizens may register and vote in elections, and a ban on foreign nationals financially “influencing” Arizona elections. It also requires all eligible voters seeking to receive a mail-in ballot to “have provided documented proof of citizenship” when registering to vote and confirm their preferred ballot-delivery address before each biennial election cycle.
HCR 2001 now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration. If passed, it will be considered by voters in the state’s 2026 elections.
For more election news and updates, visit electionbriefing.com.
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