Katie Hobbs (Getty)
"I offered common sense compromises to count votes faster, and they were rejected. I refuse to let extremists make it harder for Arizonans to vote."
State Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, disagreed, saying on X that he has voted early every election since turning 18 and finds no such issues with the legislation.
"I’ve read this bill over and over again and fail to understand how it ‘guts vote by mail and makes it harder to vote,’ Shope said. "There’s literally nothing in the bill that makes it harder to vote. Sign the Bill."
Christian Slater, a spokesperson for Hobbs, also criticized AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda over the legislation, saying the administration tried to "negotiat[e] in good faith," but that Republicans "refused common sense compromises to protect voting rights."
Former Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., who retired from Congress to pursue a seat on the county board in Phoenix, said she supports the legislation, particularly from the vantage of her new role.
"As a Maricopa County supervisor, I know this legislation will help instill more confidence in our elections process," Lesko said in a statement.
"Governor Hobbs should sign this bill – it's the right thing to do for the future of Arizona elections."
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Maricopa County – home to nearly two-thirds of the state’s population – would, under the legislation, see its early-vote deadline be set Friday evening prior to election day.
In the other 14 counties, voters who choose to "late early" vote would be required to show ID to county staff – so recorders could skip the time-consuming verification process that can delay the final count.
To push back on allegations of disenfranchisement, the bill would also provide for three days of early in-person voting running up to Election Day proper.
One of Lesko’s counterparts on the Maricopa board said the measure appears nonpartisan.
"This carefully crafted … legislation is a commonsense solution that ensures election integrity while expanding access by adding two extra days to an already nearly month-long early voting period," said Supervisor Mark Stewart.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/floridas-move-from-2000s-vexation-2020s-role-model-blueprint-arizona-lawmakers-say