State Republican lawmakers push new voting measures

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona State Senate and House Republicans have been aiming to change voting laws since the beginning of the current session. This week some of the proposed legislation moved forward in the Senate and House.

Nearly two dozen new measures have been introduced by Republican Arizona legislators that could restrict voting for many.

That includes a measure that passed in the senate Monday, requiring Arizona residents to provide identification when submitting their mail-in ballot.

The new legislation calls for an affidavit, along with your date of birth and license. Those items must be filed with the county recorder's office.
 
Since 1996, Arizona has had a top-of-the-line mail-in voting system. It's even praised by Gov. Doug Ducey and the model is used all over the United States.
 
So why are changes being made to something that has worked for years?
 
Rep. Athena Salman, a Democratic ranking member of the government and elections committee, says this is targeting people's right to vote.
 
“I want to be very clear that this will harm senior citizens who are trying to vote," Rep. Salman explained.

This will harm members of the military, but they're advancing it forward all of the hopes and desires that the people that it hurts most are people of color who skew more Democratic than Republican,” she added.

Currently, the voting system matches signatures on ballot envelopes and those signatures have to match the one on file.
 
We should point out, in-person voting already requires you to provide the same forms of identification that Republican lawmakers are wanting for mail-in ballots.