• Dems wage battle against Arizona's 'ballot harvesting' ban, amid voter

    From Sara Jacobs Is A Communist Prostitu@21:1/5 to All on Sat May 19 21:13:06 2018
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    PHOENIX – Democrats are continuing their legal battle against
    Arizona’s “ballot harvesting” law, claiming it was passed to
    dilute minority voting power.

    This comes even as a federal judge recently ruled the law was
    constitutional.

    The law, which makes it illegal for absentee voters to allow
    others to collect their completed absentee ballots and submit
    them to election officials on the voters' behalf, was enacted in
    2016. Under the law, if a person gets caught taking other
    people’s completed ballots to the polls for them, he or she
    could face felony charges.

    The Arizona Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee
    sued the state and Maricopa County over the law. But it was
    upheld May 8 after U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes ruled the
    groups failed to show that the Arizona legislature passed the
    law with the intent of suppressing minority voters.

    Democrats have vowed to continue their legal fight.

    “I respect the court’s decision but I don’t agree with it and
    that’s why,” said State Rep. Richard Andrade, D-Glendale about
    why the ruling was still being challenged. “It’s something that
    really impacts certain people.”

    Andrade said the law disenfranchises those who live in remote
    areas, working-class families, minorities and those with
    disabilities because they have a tough time getting to a post
    office.

    “You have your family to take care of and make sure you put food
    on the table and everything, they’re not going to miss a day out
    of work—or they might not be able to get away from their job to
    even stop by the county elections to drop off that ballot
    because they just don’t have that luxury,” Andrade said. “We are
    taking that luxury away from people and punishing them by
    saying, ‘Hey, your vote doesn’t matter.’”

    Republicans argue the law is necessary to prevent voter fraud.
    State Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, who sponsored the
    bill, said she was pleased the court upheld the law. She said
    ballot harvesting is ripe for abuse – and could disenfranchise
    legitimate voters.

    “Think about it. It’s election season and you’ve taken upon
    yourself to perhaps knock on someone’s door or multiple doors
    and collect their ballot with, I’m assuming, the intent to turn
    the ballot into the ballot box,” Ugenti-Rita said. “But, in the
    event that doesn’t happen, regardless of why it doesn’t happen,
    you can see it that that has (an) impact on…that person’s ballot
    to the election box. But, then also on the outcome. So, it’s not
    a practice that really has enough benefit to justify continuing
    to have it. So, that’s why I sponsored the bill and the court
    agreed that it was within our statutory and constitutional
    authority.”

    Michelle Ugenti-Rita
    @MichelleUgenti
    Great News, my bill, HB2023 is upheld!! Yesterday District
    Court Judge Douglas Rayes issued his decision in the Feldman v.
    Arizona ballot harvesting case, and he ruled in favor of the
    state and against the plaintiffs on all claims.

    2:22 PM - May 9, 2018
    21
    See Michelle Ugenti-Rita's other Tweets

    Voter fraud has become a national issue that has pitted
    Republicans against Democrats. Republicans, in an attempt to
    prevent voter fraud, have pushed for stringent ID and ballot
    harvesting laws as Democrats have argued those efforts are a
    veiled attempt to strip away minority voting power.

    Ugenti-Rita said the intent behind Arizona’s law isn’t partisan.
    Ballot fraud, she said, isn’t a partisan issue.


    Donald J. Trump
    ?
    @realDonaldTrump
    Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the
    2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard
    that the Commission not see their records or methods because
    they know that many people are voting illegally. System is
    rigged, must go to Voter I.D.

    4:02 AM - Jan 4, 2018
    109K
    54.9K people are talking about this

    “Elections are critical and the outcome of an election is
    important and people have to have confidence in the outcome of
    an election,” Ugenti-Rita said. “The best way to kind of effect
    your government is at the election box. So, election integrity
    is something that we have to safeguard. It doesn’t make sense to
    allow a practice to exist that has the potential to increase
    fraud and undermine the outcome of election or that confidence
    in the election process.”

    But Andrade points to studies that show voter fraud is not a
    widespread issue and has not impacted the outcome of local
    elections.

    “There was not a case of voter fraud proven (in Arizona), but
    yet this proceeded through,” Andrade said.

    The issue is critical in Arizona because the state relies
    heavily on mail-in voting. According to the Citizens Clean
    Elections Commission, about 80 percent of Arizona voters choose
    to receive their ballot in the mail.

    “There was not a case of voter fraud proven (in Arizona), but
    yet this proceeded through."

    - State Rep. Richard Andrade, D-Glendale.
    The ballot harvesting issue in Arizona came before the U.S.
    Supreme Court in 2016 and the court suspended a ruling that
    would have temporarily blocked the law while it was making its
    way through the courts.

    The case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
    There’s a possibility the appeal could end up in the U.S.
    Supreme Court again.

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/15/dems-wage-battle- against-arizona-s-ballot-harvesting-ban-amid-voter-fraud-
    concerns.html
     

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