August 19, 2022

Ruling puts Arizona voting access initiative on life support

Backers say they aren't giving up yet.

voter reg form File image of an Arizona voter registration form.
AZPM

An Arizona voter initiative expanding voting access and rolling back election laws that were tightened by the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey is teetering on the edge of failure.

That's because a judge disqualified tens of thousands of signatures that backers turned in to qualify the Democrat-backed Free and Fair Elections measure for the November ballot.

An attorney representing the measure's opponents says his analysis shows the measure falling about 10,000 signatures short. But the lawyer for the measure's backers said his team was still analyzing the complicated ruling and the secretary of state was awaiting final verification of signatures.

Two other initiatives survived legal challenges but appeals are pending. Thursday's ruling could also be appealed.

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