After a video of an Arizona ballot harvester in action went national in 2014, Arizona voters demanded reforms. On Monday, those reforms were accepted in a 4-2 party-line vote by the Eelections Committee.
HB2023, sponsored by Representative Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-23), prescribes a class 6 felony for collecting a voted or unvoted early ballot from another person.
The bill allows family members, household members, or caregivers of a voter, as well as election officials and United States postal workers to continue to be allowed to collect ballots.
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According to Ugenti-Rita, this legislation is an effort to maintain the ability of Arizonan’s to participate in the electoral process via the mail without it being manipulated.
The legislation is supported by Secretary of State Michele Reagan.
Unions oppose the bill. One union representative told the committee that the law would turn her members into felons.
Members of the Republican Party testified that there are concerns that ballot harvesters could dispose of ballots that do not support their candidate or cause.
Ballot harvesting has been used for years by primarily progressive groups.
Rep. Ugenti-Rita stated when she first announced the bill earlier this month, “Due to the nature of this issue, it will be the only bill I hear during the first meeting of the Elections Committee. HB2023 is the product of a deliberative stakeholder process that involved participants from multiple levels of government eager to develop a solution to this problem.”
LaFaro submitted a Public Information Request to Maricopa County Elections on 08/26 requesting the 24/7 security surveillance video tape for 08/25 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the camera in the MCTEC foyer watching the ballot box – camera 9.