AZ vote-by-mail initiative won't make November ballot after campaign withholds signatures
An initiative that would have enshrined vote-by-mail protections in the Arizona Constitution will not appear on the November ballot, organizers announced Wednesday.
The measure, called the Free, Fair and Secure Elections Act, was filed with the Arizonas Secretary of States office in March as a proposed constitutional amendment.
It would have established a constitutional right to vote in person on Election Day, extended early in-person voting through the Monday before an election and guaranteed voters the right to receive a ballot by mail without providing a reason.
The Protect the Vote Arizona campaign said it gathered about 439,000 raw signatures with more than 2,000 volunteers since mid-March. The initiative needed 383,923 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Even with more than enough signatures, organizers said they made a strategic decision not to submit the signatures, citing concerns about turning over voter information to elected officials the campaign opposes, specifically naming Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap.
https://ktar.com/arizona-politics-news/election/vote-by-mail-ballot/5885213/