Referendum seeks to take election integrity to Arizona voters

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(The Center Square) - An Arizona legislator is seeking to require voters show government-issued IDs before they cast a ballot, as well as proof of citizenship to get mail-in ballots.

Sen. Shawna Bolick, R-Deer Valley, pre-filed a resolution for next year’s legislative session seeking to safeguard Arizona’s elections. 

Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1001, known as the Arizona Secure Elections Act, seeks to amend Article VII of the Arizona Constitution. If passed by the Legislature, the election integrity proposal would appear as a referendum in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. 

In addition to voter ID, Bolick's referendum would require the state to give mail-in ballots only to Arizonans who request them and show proof of citizenship. And the referendum calls for ending early voting by 7 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. The measure also prohibits campaign contributions to candidates or ballot measures from foreign sources, including individuals and corporations.

Bolick told The Center Square Monday that Arizona Republican voters want to ensure the state has “secure” and “timely” elections. She said election integrity is her priority for the upcoming legislative session.

According to a recent Center Square Voters' Voice Poll, most Americans support a voter ID requirement. 

Last session, Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, vetoed House Bill 2703, which contained many of the provisions in SCR 1001. Republicans have majorities in both houses of the Legislature but lack enough seats to override Hobbs' vetoes.

Hobbs also axed the Bolick-sponsored Senate Bill 1374 in 2024, which would have prevented foreign donations in Arizona’s election administration and ballot measures. 

But in Arizona, if the Legislature passes a resolution like SCR 1001, it bypasses the governor and is sent to voters for their consideration in the next general election.

Because of Hobbs' unwillingness to work with Republican legislators on safeguarding elections, the only thing that can be done is “to give it to the voters and give them a voice in the process,” Bolick said.

“If voters decide that they’re not gonna pass it, then that’s on them,” she added.

In 2022, Arizonans voted down Proposition 309 by fewer than 19,000 votes, which sought to change the state's voter ID laws.  

SCR 1001 is a “priority for the Republican caucus,” Bolick noted.

Rep. Alex Kolodin, R-Fountain Hills, is sponsoring a mirror bill: House Concurrent Resolution 2001.

Bolick said she anticipates her bill being tweaked during deliberations, adding that she is “open to suggestions” from her colleagues. 

The senator noted she anticipates a lawsuit from Democrats if her resolution passes in the Legislature. 

But she added that a provision included in the referendum states that if one part is considered invalid, the other provisions aren't affected.

Arizona is currently facing a lawsuit over voter registration laws it passed in 2022. Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, turned to the U.S. Supreme Court to appeal the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit’s ruling that overturned the laws. Justices have not announced if they will hear the appeal.

Petersen and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes are among the defendants in the suit filed by Mi Familia Vota, a Hispanic voting rights organization.