A handful of 2022 legislative proposals would reverse the main mechanisms Arizona voters have to vote in elections in ways other than waiting in line on Election Day.
In Sun City, where as many voters turn out early as in any part of the state, feedback is mixed on attempts by the Republican legislature to roll back early and absentee voting.
“I would like to see more voting in-person, and only on the days leading up to the election,” said Sue Mauch, a 14-year Sun City resident.
In Maricopa County, 2,595,272 ballots were cast in the November 2020 election. There were 167,878 votes cast on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020, or only about 8% of total votes cast. The other 92% of votes cast in the county — or 1.92 million ballots — were cast prior to Nov. 3.
The Maricopa County Recorder even has a specific “early voting” map on its website. In two precincts comprising the Sun City area, Sun City and Mimosa, there was even more early voting in 2020.
In the Sun City precinct, the early-voting percentage was 96.5%, with only 80 ballots cast on Election Day. In the Mimosa precinct, 97.2% of the 3,628 votes cast were early. And both precincts had voter turnout about 83%.
In Sun City precincts, Republicans outnumber registered Democrats. But like much of the state, “No party” designations outnumber registered voters of both major parties.
Republicans at the State Capitol this year have promoted several bills in their effort to change how voting is done in the state.
The move to curtail mail-in ballots in Arizona is among a number of efforts to change those laws.
House Bill 2289, currently making its way in the legislature, change that by allowing only those who are out of state, in the military or confined to hospitals to vote by mail.
Every other Arizonan else who wants to vote in an election would have to show up at their local polling location on Election Day.
Arizona has had one kind or another of mail-in voting for about 100 years. The state has had early voting since 1991, perpetuated by state and local officials of both parties.
The longevity of Arizona’s early voting doesn’t faze Sandra Johnson, a two-year resident of Sun City. She said in-person voting could be extended into the days leading up to Election Day, but not the one month or more some states provide.
“There are just too many things that could go wrong,” Johnson said.
As of March 26, HB 2289 had received a 31-28 approval, along party lines, in the Republican-majority state House.
However, it was modified as approved by a Senate committee, so if it receives full House approval, the Senate would have to sign off on the changes before Gov. Doug Ducey would see it on his desk.
A statewide survey conducted by OH Predictive Insights in early March found about 90% of the respondents wanted to continue with early voting. The poll was online, opt-in view of 753 registered voters.
While the survey showed two-thirds of the registered Republicans in the survey back being able to vote by mail, there was a divide along racial lines: Hispanics were less enthusiastic about being able to vote early than non-Hispanic whites.
The poll showed 64% of those who responded are in support of requiring more verification on mail-in ballots, with just 14% opposed.
Also, this November, there will be a proposition on the ballot for requiring those casting early ballots to include certain identifying information inside a mailed-in envelope.
The Sun City Republicans declined to comment on this topic. County Supervisor Clint Hickman, whose district includes Sun City, did not respond to questions.
Carole Savage, an Illinois native, wears a leg brace and uses a walker to get around. She said she feels mobility should be considered by the legislature when considering changes to mail-in and early voting.
“I like early voting,” Savage said. “Imagine the number of Arizonans there are now, all trying to vote in one day. They should fund the right number of polling places and continue mail-in and early voting.”
Arizona Republicans have made a central issue out of election security, even as U.S. Rep Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and other Democrats continue to point out there was no widespread voter fraud in 2016 or 2020.
So what do Sun City residents think should be done to step up that security?
“Photo voter IDs,” said Myrna Uriarte, a 10-year Arizona resident who recently moved to Indiana. “And only let U.S. citizens vote.”
Uriarte echoed the sentiment that voting could be stretched out over several consecutive days.
“It could even be over a three-day weekend, like a garage sale,” she said.
Mauch said she would like to see photo IDs used as well.
“And then, don’t be posting bits and pieces online,” she said. “Wait until all the votes are in and counted, then tell us who won.”
Johnson said she would be OK with multiple days of voting as long as results aren’t reported until everyone has cast votes.
“Media and government telling us who’s ahead while people are still in line voting, even in other time zones, that’s not right,” she said. “Why should we, out west, stay in line to vote if we already know who’s won?”
Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.
He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.
Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.
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