It looks like the time has finally come for voters to get a chance to beat back Republican measures to suppress Democracy and keep the specter of Dark Money in politics.
Yesterday (July 7, 2022,) supporters for Arizonans for Fair Elections and The Right to Know Act initiatives appear to have submitted more than enough signatures to get measures on the November ballot.
According to a press release by Stacy Pearson at Lumien Strategies, The Arizonans for Fair Elections submitted double the required 237,645 signatures, turning in 475,290
According to reporting by AZ Central, the Right to Know supporters submitted 393,490, 65% more than required.
If the Secretary of State validates the signatures and the opposition does not prevail in court challenges (which Terry Goddard, the spearhead for the Right to Know forces has said they have anticipated and taken preventive steps to counter,) voters will have a chance to decide if they want:
- To restore the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL.)
- Make candidates reveal their major Dark Money campaign donors.
- The allowing of same day voter registration.
- Ensure ballots remain private.
- To stop the legislature from interfering in certifying the Presidential race.
- Protect voting access for Tribal Nation members.
- Extend early voting.
- Reduce the amount of campaign contributions a candidate can receive.
- Routinely update voter registration when a person reports a change of address at the Motor Vehicle Department.
Commenting on the submittal of the Arizonans for Fair Elections Initiative, Teresa Mabry, the co-director of Arizona Democracy Resource Center said:
“We are filled with gratitude for the volunteers, supporters and partners who made this possible. We will restore power to the people and ensure our free and fair elections are never overturned by extremists in the Arizona legislature.”
At a press event celebrating the gathering of close to 400,000 signatures, Stop Dark Money Leader (and former Phoenix Mayor and Arizona Attorney General) Terry Goddard said:
“We are 100,00 signatures of where we were before (in the earlier attempt in 2018)…It’s an amazing accomplishment and so much of this is because of volunteers…I believe Arizonans should have the right to know who’s paying for the advertisements that they get bombarded with in every election. Right now, in Arizona, there are more Dark Money ads, more anonymous ads being run than in any other state on a percentage of our total advertising. That’s just wrong. Arizonans are in the dark, literally. What we are trying to do is shine a very bright light on who it is trying to persuade us one way or the other to vote…”
Please click here to read the Arizonans for Fair Election Initiative.
Please click here to read the Right to Vote Initiative.
Voters need to be mindful that Republicans will also be referring ballot measures to in part codify their democracy suppressing measures.
VOTE NO ON THOSE AND CHOOSE YES FOR both the Arizonans for Fair Elections and Right to Vote Initiatives if they make it to the November 8, 2022 ballot.
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But first the usual suspects will throw every legal challenge, every illogical, kitchen sink argument, they can at the petitions, to keep it off the ballot.