Arizona lawmakers consider bill that aims to do away with early voting

PHOENIX - Arizona Republicans ushered in early voting in the early 1990s, but are now trying to do away with it, and take the state’s voting system back in time.

Currently, two proposals that would limit early voting are making their way through the state capitol.

One of the proposals, HB2876, would limit early voting, both by mail and in person.

State lawmaker Alex Kolodin (R-District 3) says his constituents may use early voting, but that doesn’t mean they like it or trust it.

"It would be really nice to have elections where folks didn’t have all these questions about your voting processes. It's confusing, it's hard to take yourself off the list, etc. etc. It would just be nice to have elections where we didn't have to talk about the process," said State Rep. Kolodin.

The other proposal, HCR2032, would return the state to a precinct system, meaning more polling places in neighborhoods, with each capped at 1,000 voters. Voters, if the proposal becomes law, would be required vote in the area where they live.

"You can walk there, you can see your neighbors, and you can know everybody there. I think that’s gonna be something that’s extremely attractive to voters if this gets in front of them," said State Rep. Kolodin.

The bills are now in the State Senate. If passed, HCR2032 will be submitted to voters at the next general election.

How popular is early voting in Arizona?

Arizona voters, according to figures, use early voting 70% to 90% of the time in recent elections.

"I love early voting," said one man. "It's something that I do myself, and I think it’s a way of making the whole voting process very much easier."

"I have time to really go through, see what each candidate stands for, see their backgrounds, and make a much better decision," said another man.