From Meghan McCain and Arizona Republic progressive columnist Laurie Roberts to conservative Arizona State Senator JD Mesnard, there is growing consensus that Arizona’s elections are a national embarrassment.
Arizona's vote counting system is a national embarrassment.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) November 8, 2024
It didn’t have to be this way says Mesnard as frustration mounts among Arizona voters
and candidates running for office over how long it’s taking to count votes in the Grand
Canyon State.
Mesnard points to the fact that “just one year after Governor Katie Hobbs, with little explanation, vetoed commonsense legislation from Senate Republicans to address this reoccurring problem.”
Mesnard says it is “a problem that has made Arizona the subject of ridicule across the country each election cycle and why we won’t know the outcome of many races for a week or more.”
In 2023, Mesnard sponsored, and the Arizona Legislature passed, SB1595 (early ballots; identification; tabulation), which would have resolved the biggest contributor to the delay in final election results while establishing equal treatment of those coming to the polls on or near election day. The bill required those who decide to hold on to their mailed ballots until after the Friday before election day to follow the same ID requirements as everyone else when dropping off their ballots. Not only would this legislation have allowed everyone coming to the polls on election day to be treated fairly, it also would have eliminated the need to validate signatures on hundreds of thousands of ballots, a lengthy process that delays election results for days or weeks.
“Once again, Arizona is a laughingstock across the country for how long it’s taking our state to determine winners and losers in this election, an election with national implications. This chaos, confusion, frustration, and controversy is nothing new for us and easily could have been avoided this year had the Governor not vetoed SB1595,” said Mesnard. “I’ve said it before, and I will say it again- ignoring this problem is a complete disservice to our voters who are taking their precious time to exercise their civic duty. It also continually puts us in the national spotlight, and not in a good way. We can’t just kick the can down the road every election cycle.”
Mesnard says his proposal “was commonsense, practical to implement, fair to the voters, and would have made a real difference in tackling the lengthy timeline voters and candidates—and the nation—continue to complain about. Senate Republicans will work again to send a bill like this to the Governor’s desk next session, and we hope she will do
the right thing by signing it this time so we can finally move past this ongoing embarrassment.”
Senate President Warren Petersen has vowed that on the first day of the legislative session Republicans will introduce legislation to restore election integrity reforms including those which would result in a more timely tally.
Im a Floridian, live in Tucson in 1985. Not happy that my family are sad cause the dirty politician are turning the beautiful AZ like CA only AZ can stop this crazyness
Increasing the time needed to count ballots gives crooked politicians more time to steal elections. It gives them more time to create as many ballots as are needed for their candidate of choice to win.
Well people, As I recall, right after Hobbs got appointed into office the screams here for recall periods goi g out. No recall ever happened we got what we deserved for letting the left get away with this. I swear conservatives come across as tired old men who don’t want to be put upon and just lets them get away with it
Hobbs is a woke disaster.
Arizonans deserve the incompetent and defiant politicians they elected. It comes with the embarrassment and the blame of the nation. Just take it!
If they think they did not elect them, then rise up, voice an opinion, demand resignations and full blown audits. For now, all one can hear from the majority is chirps.
The occupant of the Governors office vetoed the legislation, in order to continue to have wiggle-room to cheat. It’s just that simple.
The glacial count of our Senate race (Lake and the leftist) proves that cheating *is* happening. Someone REALLY doesn’t want Lake in the Senate.
Kari Lake for FEC Director!
Hobbs – did this with intent – obfuscation of results for time to ‘change’ outcomes – delay outcomes – ‘obfuscate results’ Hobbs, the haaabooob bag of dust in the wind, twin from another mother of Harris? with similar thought process and ilk. Just confuse till conquered – that’s what this election was about – that’s what the progressive party is about, that’s in definition what “Californication” is… obruscate and confuse the voters to elicit change from the confusion – a silent coup of BS in action. NYET!!!!!!!!!! This was with intent no question in my mind.
Isn’t it amazing that Arizona can’t manage to count votes in a reasonable time frame. Look at how Florida changed after the “hanging chad” debacle. They have about 3 times the population and they were done counting on election night. Why can they figure it out and Arizona can’t?
Simple…they don’t want efficiency, they want ambiguous just in case they need it. Don’t let anyone tell you different!
We moved from Arizona to Arkansas last year….mail-in (absentee) ballots in Arkansas are the exception, not the rule. We also have two weeks to do early, in person voting. AZ needs to change
Everyone is right, counting ballots in AZ has become a huge joke. But then how else are the cheaters going to cheat. And BTW, Meghan, just keep your mouth shut. You and little Johnnie’s deep state republicans have done your damndest to make AZ blue because of hate/spite and you have almost accomplished your goal.
AZ, the laughing stock of America when it comes to counting votes disguised as safe and secure elections! What a joke!
I have good people on Rumble raising their voices to criticize the ineptness of this all in AZ voting! Ridiculous!
Let’s just go with voting in person, other than overseas military, maybe spread it out for three days. That way, IDs can be checked on site. Open as many new polling places as necessary. This is ridiculous and one cannot blame people for assuming the worst when these kinds of delays occur. Is this what Richer meant when he said he wanted to make Kari Lake’s life hell?