Protect Your Right to Vote delivers 146,000 signatures for referendum

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The "citizens veto" (referendum) of the Voter Suppression Act, HB 2305, has more than enough signatures to qualify for the 2014 ballot. Thanks to all the many hundreds of volunteers for your hard work and dedication in collecting signatures during a blazing hot Arizona summer.

Your right to vote is sacrosanct, and those GOP legislators who sought to suppress your right to vote need to be defeated at the ballot box, and HB 2305 "vetoed."

The Protect Your Right to Vote Committee has posted the following press release: Protect Your Right to Vote delivers 146,000 signatures to refer HB2305 to the ballot:

PHOENIX – The Protect Your Right to Vote Committee today delivered approximately 146,000 petition signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State to put the Legislature’s attempt to get tough on Arizona voters to a vote of the people. An unprecedented coalition of more than 25 non-profit civic engagement organizations joined together to stand up for Arizona voting rights and put House Bill 2305 on the Nov. 2014 ballot. The Legislature passed the bill -- which changed almost 20 separate areas of election law with virtually no public testimony-- by a near party-line vote in June. The Committee is confident it has enough valid signatures to exceed the 86,405 threshold to put the referendum on the ballot, said Chairwoman Julie Erfle.

“Voters will have their say after all,” said Erfle. “It was wrong for career politicians to try and influence elections by putting up roadblocks for voters who might not agree with them and to make criminals out of dedicated campaign volunteers. As we gathered signatures, even in the heat of an Arizona summer and in the face of efforts to block our signature drive, we were inspired by the willingness of Arizonans to stand up for voting rights. We found strong support from voters of all political stripes, persuasions and backgrounds. That does not bode well for the authors and supporters of HB2305, including many Arizona legislators.”

BACKGROUND:

· HB2305 would make it a crime for volunteers to collect and drop off ballots at the polls. These efforts help elderly, homebound, disabled and working voters to participate in elections.

· HB2305 would kick voters off the Permanent Early Voting List if they fail to vote in two consecutive elections – both primary and general. This would decrease participation and disproportionally impact newly registered Latino, young and Independent voters who are not likely to vote if removed from this list.

· HB2305 would keep third parties off the ballot by raising the signature requirement to put a candidate on the ballot for all political parties except Republicans. Ballot access for third party candidates will become unlikely, reducing voter choice. For example, the number of signatures required for Libertarian candidates would increase by 4,000 percent.

· HB2305 makes it more difficult for Arizona citizens to engage in direct democracy or overturn bad laws passed by the Legislature through citizen initiatives. By instituting a host of minor technical barriers – including the margin size on petitions – that can be challenged in court, politicians are trying to take away an important right that’s been part of Arizona’s constitution since statehood.

Petition circulators began working on July 1 to gather the required signatures. If qualified, HB2305 will be put on hold until voters have their say in November of 2014. Supporters of the referendum effort will be encouraging Arizona voters to vote “no.”

The Protect Your Right to Vote Committee is a coalition of more than 25 non-profit organizations working together to put HB2305 to a vote of the people. These include civic engagement organizations, Latino voter engagement groups, conservation organizations, animal welfare groups and labor organizations. It also includes leaders and members of the Libertarian, Green and Democratic parties.

Member organizations include: AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Animal Defense League of Arizona, Arizona Advocacy Network, Arizona Center for Empowerment, Arizona Education Association, Arizona List, AZ Community Action Association, Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy, Citizens for a Better Arizona, Communications Workers of Arizona, East Valley Patriots for American Values, Equality Arizona, Humane Society of the United States, Humane Voters of Arizona, League of Women Voters, Living United for Change in Arizona, Mi Familia Vota, NARAL Arizona, National Education Association, One Arizona, PAFCO, Planned Parenthood, Promise Arizona, SEIU, Sierra Club, and UFCW.

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Comments

[Frances Perkins]

Ken Bennett is running for governor. He needs the kooks to win a primary fight. Therefore he will find every reason necessary to disqualify the signatures. The type face will be microscopically too small. The circulators did not drop their own blood on each page, the petitions were not exposed to cosmic rays, the circulators did not prove that their ancestors came on the Mayflower, etc, etc,. John Kavanaugh will huff and puff on the Horizon show in his New York accent. Antenori will go into convulsions.

[movingazforward]

Heh. I dropped no blood, but probably lost a few pounds in sweat! Many people were shocked and upset to find out about the provisions contained in HB2305. Everyone I approached signed happily except for one man who grumbled "voting is easy" when he was about 15 feet away from me.

I'm sure that shenanigans will be tried; this crew can't seem to win without them.

Thank you BFAZ for keeping this on the front burner. Great to see so many come together for this important cause. Congratulations everyone!

[AZ BlueMeanie]

That's funny! Don't worry, there is a team of lawyers in place and Arizona law is on their side.