Read on Twitter
The frontline in battle over #VotingRights shifts to Arizona — As public outcry continues over Georgia's voting law #SB202, AZ's Republican-controlled legislature is poised to pass several voting-related bills with similar provisions. https://19thnews.org/2021/04/the-fight-over-voting-rights-comes-to-arizona/ 1/
Like Georgia, Arizona "went blue" for Biden in 2020 & its Senate seats are held by Democrats for the first time since the 1950s. Like GA, AZ was previously had to "preclear" changes to its voting laws under the Voting Rights Act due to a history of discriminatory policy. 2/
After 2013, when SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act's preclearance provision, AZ legislators started proposing laws to change how the state votes at a fast clip. But "this year, it’s open season," @AthenaSalman told me. https://19thnews.org/2021/04/the-fight-over-voting-rights-comes-to-arizona/ 3/
Arizona's R-controlled state legislatures made it easier to vote early and by mail in the 1990s and 2000s — the state blazed the way with #PEVL, it's widely popular Permanent Early Voting List. Now, one Republican bill in the mix would make it impermanent. https://19thnews.org/2021/04/the-fight-over-voting-rights-comes-to-arizona/
Republican sponsors of the bills to curtail #votingaccess say they're intended to address the kind of widespread fraud that Trump erroneously claims cost him the 2020 election. Critics say the they would make it harder to cast ballots for voters of color in particular. 5/
AZ Dem @RaquelTeran said push by Repub lawmakers to restrict voting cannot be separated from their losses in 2020. AZ elected Biden & Rs lost 2nd Senate seat. Plus, Rs margin of power in both state leg chambers dwindled to 1 seat. “They’re on the verge of losing this power." 6/
My dispatch from Arizona, where more bills have been introduced this year to restrict #VotingAccess than anywhere else in the country except Georgia and Texas. Brennan Center's @swerenbecker called it a reaction to the "browning of America." https://19thnews.org/2021/04/the-fight-over-voting-rights-comes-to-arizona/ 7/7
