America is a country defined by its elections in two senses. The more obvious sense is that outcomes of local, state, and federal elections ultimately determine which policies are enacted and implemented at all levels of government. In a much deeper sense, we are defined by the fact that we hold these elections in the first place.
While the country’s attention has been focused on the progress of the most recent COVID-19 economic relief package and the rollout of the vaccine, an equally influential, albeit detrimental, piece of legislation is beginning to move through Congress. H.R 1, deceptively titled the For the People Act and voted for by every Democratic member of the House of Representatives except one, has been introduced to make sweeping changes to the manner in which elections are conducted in each state.
Let me be clear, contrary to what you may hear from Democrats, the federalization and centralization of our election process will not lead to more accurate, secure, and fair elections. H.R. 1 will not only leave us vulnerable to the many concerns we saw in the last election, but also legalize the reckless practices that created them in the first place.
Let’s take, for example, the practice known as ballot harvesting. This occurs when a third party goes door to door to assist voters with returning their absentee or mail-in ballot to their election official. If it sounds ripe for fraud, that’s because it is. That is why I sponsored the bill to outlaw ballot harvesting in Arizona.
The opposition by Democrats to my bill was so vociferous that the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have fought it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Oral arguments were heard earlier this month, with a decision expected this summer. The Democrats’ support of this practice is so strong they are attempting to mandate it on a national scale through its inclusions in H.R. 1. This is just one of several examples in which the Democrats are using the court system, and now Congress, to ignore the will of not just Arizona voters, but also the voters of several other states.
A second example is the creation of a massive loophole to circumvent all of the commonsense voter identification laws enacted by the states. People are accustomed to using photo identification for many of life’s day-to-day activities that are not central to the future of our republic, so why should these reasonable requirements be removed from voting? I sponsored legislation, signed into law, expanding our voter identification requirements (enacted by the voters) to those who vote early in-person. Sadly, H.R. 1 will supersede this expression of Arizona voters as well.
The best method for ensuring the integrity of our elections, and subsequently the results, is to maintain the most accurate voter rolls or list of registered voters as possible. It is well known that the accuracy of these lists is compromised due to voters moving, voters passing away, and duplicate registrations. Inactive voters are another contributing factor to inaccurate voter lists. As a result, I have introduced legislation, once again this session, to remove voters from Arizona’s voluntary program allowing them to receive a ballot by mail if they fail to vote at least once in four consecutive elections and fail to respond to a notice stating they will be removed from the list. With the unique nature of each state’s voter population and how states have responded to their individual circumstances, a state’s ability to continue to govern itself is once again eviscerated by H.R. 1.
I am also deeply troubled by the reasons articulated for the necessity of this bill. The Democrats defeated an incumbent president, regained control of the U.S. Senate, and prevailed in numerous election-related lawsuits contested all the way to the Supreme Court, and yet, they want us to believe our system of elections is irreparably flawed.
A handful of states received an overwhelming amount of the focus on the results of their elections, while the vast majority did not. It is the duty and responsibility of those states then to address their problems with the input of their voters and elected officials. Each state had unique circumstances that necessitate individual solutions.
The overreaching ramifications of H.R. 1 and the consequences it will have on our democracy if it is enacted are devastating. The Constitution vested states with the authority to govern their elections for a reason, and unfortunately, that reason, which is to prevent one party from exerting power for its own benefit because it can, is sadly manifesting itself in H.R. 1.
Michelle Ugenti-Rita is an Arizona state senator and the chairwoman of the state’s Senate Government Committee, where she has jurisdiction over all election-related legislation in the Senate.
