Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I have seen some emails and Facebook posts containing incorrect information about the citizens referendum ("citizens veto") of HB 2305, the Voter Suppression Act. The deadline to file the petitions with the Secretary of State is Thursday, September 12. However, because the petitions have to be checked for completeness, the signatures verified against the voter registration records, and organized for delivery to the Secretary of State, you should make every effort to complete your petitions this week and to deliver them to your local county Democratic Party headquarters or the Protect Your Right To Vote Committee (protectourvoteaz.org) by this weekend. (Information below the fold).
The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports that Election law referendum organizers say they’re ‘on track’:
The deadline is approaching fast but
organizers of a citizen referendum drive against a wide-ranging
elections bill say they’re on track to get enough signatures to put
HB2305 on the 2014 ballot.
Arizona Libertarian Party Vice Chair Barry Hess, a member of the
coalition attempting to refer HB2305 to the ballot, said the Protect
Your Right to Vote Committee has collected and verified nearly 86,405
signatures, the number it needs to put the law on hold and force a
public vote in the November 2014 election. He said he fully expects the
committee to exceed its goal of 120,000 signatures, to provide a cushion
against invalid signatures.
“We’re going to the ballot,” Hess told the Arizona Capitol Times. “We are close enough that there’s not a question, with verified signatures.”
Robbie Sherwood, a spokesman for the committee, wouldn’t comment on
how many signatures have been collected. But Sherwood said the
referendum drive is on track to put the measure on the ballot. The
committee has until Sept. 12 to submit the signatures.
“We expect to have enough to qualify,” Sherwood said. “We have a
really robust volunteer effort. Signatures are showing up in big batches
every day.”
* * *
Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, who is
part of the referendum drive, said the Protect Your Right to Vote
Committee has numerous volunteers out collecting signatures. While some
volunteers have already turned in their signature sheets, Gallardo said
many still haven’t.
The committee is now asking volunteers to turn in their sheets,
either [to Protect Your Right To Vote Committee (protectourvoteaz.org)) or to Democratic
Party headquarters in Phoenix and Tucson. He estimated that volunteers
will ultimately provide about 25,000 signatures.
Sherwood, too, said volunteers are playing a major role in the referendum drive.
“We have a really robust volunteer effort. Signatures are showing up in big batches every day,” he said.
* * *
Gallardo emphasized that the committee is
verifying its signatures to ensure their validity. He said the committee
is using the Arizona Democratic Party’s Voter Action Network list,
known as VAN.
However, Gallardo wouldn’t say how many total signatures have been collected or what the validity rate has been so far.
This Cap Times report emphasized "opponents skeptical." The source of this skepticism is Jonathan "Payday" Paton, one of the leaders of Stop Voter Fraud, a Republican-led committee opposing the referendum drive. "Payday" is behind two failed efforts to dictate to the City of Tucson how it must conduct its elections. "Payday" is behined two failed efforts to kill Citizens Clean Elections, and a third effort he is still pursuing. "Payday" has run for Congress twice and lost both times — once to a political neophyte, Jesse Kelly. Why does anyone give a rats ass what this corrupt lobbyist and voter suppression advocate has to say? It's time for the media to stop treating this malignant cancer on Arizona politics with any legitimacy.
UPDATE: The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) has an updated report, Hess: HB2305 referendum has 130,000 signatures:
The referendum drive against an omnibus election bill has collected at least 130,000 signatures and expects more to come in during the final week of signature gathering, according to a member of the coalition that’s trying to put HB2305 on the ballot.
Barry Hess, vice chair of the Arizona
Libertarian Party, said the Protect Your Right to Vote Committee brought
in about 40,000 signatures in the past week or so. Hess said he expects
the committee to get 10,000 to 12,000 more signatures before the Sept.
12 deadline for submitting them to the Arizona Secretary of State’s
Office.
In the past week, the committee urged its volunteers, who are
supplementing a paid signature-gathering effort, to turn in their
petitions to the campaign. Hess said the Arizona Libertarian Party’s
volunteers have not yet submitted their signatures.
“We’ve got the signatures,” Hess said.
Contact Information
Website: Protect Your Right To Vote Committee (protectourvoteaz.org). Like us on Facebook for regular updates. Contact Sarah Michelsen, Field Director, Protect Your Right to Vote Committee at (480) 382-1102.
Democratic County Party Offices
Cochise (LD 14)
Headquarters:
1010 E. Fry Blvd.
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
Phone: (520) 458-9467
Website: www.cochisedemocrats.com
Coconino (LD 6, LD7)
Headquarters:
201 E. Birch Ave. Suite A
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Phone: (928) 214-0393
Gila (LD 8)
Headquarters:
1101 S. Beeline Hwy. (SR 87)
Payson, AZ 85541
Phone: (928) 468-2305
Phone: (928) 468-2308
Graham
Headquarters:
728 S. 9th Ave.
Safford, AZ 85546
Phone: (928) 428-2820
Greenlee
Headquarters:
104 Wards Canyon Rd.
Clifton, AZ 85533
Phone: (602)525-3686
Maricopa
Headquarters:
2914 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Phone: (602) 298-0503
Website
Maricopa County – GEMDems HQ:
7141 E. Main St.
Mesa, AZ 85207
Phone: (480) 924-3367
Website
Mohave
Headquarters:
701 Stockton Hill Rd. Suite S
Kingman, AZ 86401
Phone: (928) 753-0006
Website
Navajo
Headquarters:
Navajo County Democratic Party Office
111 E. Hopi Dr.
Holbrook, AZ 86025
Phone: (928) 863-1049
Pima
Headquarters:
4639 E. 1st St.
Tucson, AZ 85717
Phone: (520) 326-3716
Website
Pinal
Headquarters:
350 N. Main St.
Florence, AZ 85132
Phone: (520) 868-0072
Website
Yavapai (LD 1)
Headquarters:
1555 Iron Springs Rd.
Prescott, Arizona 86305
Phone: (928)541-0413
Website
Yuma (LD 4)
Headquarters:
1314 S. Fifth Ave., Ste. C
Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: (928)783-4673
Website
