The House Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to make it a crime for volunteer workers to pick up early ballots from voters.
Maricopa County Elections Director Karen Osborne said she has received reports that some people are going door to door and offering to pick up early ballots -- but only if the person voted a certain way. She also said there are people "masquerading'' as county election workers.
But Tucsonan Sami Hamed testified he is legally blind, gets an early ballot and depends on others to drop it off at a polling place. He said his ability to put it in the mail is insufficient.
"I want to make sure it gets there in somebody's hands,'' he told lawmakers.
And Barbara Klein, president of the League of Women Voters of Arizona, said SB 1003 would have a "chilling effect'' on efforts by volunteer groups like her own and Latino organizations to get more people to vote.
The measure, which already has been approved by the Senate, now goes to the full House.
magenta posted at 9:27 pm on Fri, Mar 8, 2013.
Voter suppression by the GOP, a party terrified of the rising Hispanic vote
Leon Ceniceros posted at 1:03 am on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
Oh come on now....who's to say that If you tell a Liberal Feminist or a Left-Wing Democrat volunteer vote collector that you voted against the killing of human fetuses or Republican ....that you ballot would ever see the light of day again.
YOU DON'T GIVE NIGERIANS OR ROMANIANS YOUR BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION FOR THE SAME REASON YOU DON'T GIVE FEMINISTS AND DEMOCRATS..........YOUR BALLOT = COMMON SENSE........[wink]
samkat posted at 6:19 pm on Sat, Mar 9, 2013.
If these groups are so concerned, they can give the voters a ride to the polling place to drop off their own ballot.