Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill To Expedite Ballot Counting In Swing State

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill aimed at speeding up ballot counting in the state, citing concerns that it would make voting more difficult. The bill, House Bill 2703, would have eliminated emergency voting centers and set a new deadline for voters to drop off early ballots. Hobbs had offered compromises to speed up election results while protecting voting rights, but they were rejected. She expressed concerns that the legislation would restrict late-early ballot drop-offs and effectively end Arizona's Active Early Voting List, which many Arizonans rely on. The vetoed bill would have prohibited many voters from dropping off their mail-in ballots on Election Day, moving the deadline to the Friday before instead. This would have allowed election officials to collect the majority of mail ballots before election night and begin the signature verification process earlier. Senate President Warren Petersen, who sponsored the measure, called Hobbs' veto "a huge mistake" and "a missed opportunity to increase voter confidence and reduce frustration on election night." Petersen stated that lawmakers remain committed to making changes to the state's election processes. Arizona's election results tend to come in later than in other states due to a state-mandated signature verification process for mail ballots and a surge in emergency voting during the weekend before Election Day.