AzAN's Comprehensive Democracy and Elections Program
The Arizona Advocacy Network works to strengthen democracy at the local, state and federal levels. Among the issues we champion are:
Fighting for Fair Processes & Proportionate Representation:
Fair and independent redistricting; clean money elections; protecting initiative & referendum; legislative reform; ranked choice voting; fusion voting; non-partisan election administration; fair implementation of national popular vote
Promoting Informed Voting and Advocacy:
Government transparency and access to public documents; ballot measure education; internet neutrality; reinstatement of the fairness doctrine; candidate access to public airwaves
Promoting Civic Participation for All:
Ending barriers to voting including voter ID litigation; felon re-enfranchisement; same-day-registration; engaging under-represented groups in civic participation
Counting Every Vote:
Ensuring verifiable paper trails for all votes; secure chain of custody of votes; random audits to prevent and detect election fraud
Protecting Access to an Independent Judiciary:
Keeping the courtroom doors open for all; promoting and protecting merit selection of judges; protecting access to fair and just compensation for injury due to negligent or cnompetent care.
When Secretaries of State Go Bad: Eliminating Partisanship in Elections
Administration Katherine Harris in Florida. Ken Blackwell in Ohio. Notorious Secretaries of State set new lows in elections administration in 2000 and 2004 respectively.
Election Integrity Activist Cathy Kladis has conducted a review of the Arizona Secretary of State's office and identified weaknesses--places where a partisan Secretary of State could cause mischief. This powerpoint presentation looks at the disturbing effects of partisanship in the federal Department of Justice's Voting Rights Section, and then examines shenanigans in Florida and Ohio, concluding with recommendations for action.
AzAN Leads Court Challenge to Prop 200's Voting Barriers
In 2005 AzAN brought together a coalition to initiate a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn voting barriers enacted with the 2004 anti-immigrant ballot measure known as Prop. 200. The law required that Arizonans present documentary proof-of-citizenship in order to register to vote and documentary proof-of-identity (one photo ID or two non-photo IDs) if they wish to vote at the polls. For those who vote early or by mail, a signature suffices as proof -of-identity. These requirements have already barred tens of thousands of citizens from exercising their most basic right in a democracy, the right to vote. Many citizens, particularly Native Americans, the poor, the disabled, the elderly and some of the youngest voters are unable to access any of the documents necessary to prove citizenship and therefore cannot register to vote. Many in these same groups lack any of the acceptable forms of identification necessary to vote at the polls.
This case developed national significance when the 9th circuit court of appeals quickly grasped the urgency of the issue and in October, granted our request for a preliminary injunction enjoining the voting barriers. After a quick review, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the 9th circuit and reinstated the identification requirements for the November 7th election. AzAN moved swiftly to recruit, train and deploy 75 volunteers who surveyed voters on election day to record instances of voter disenfranchisement. Declarations from these volunteers, disenfranchised voters as well as poll workers who witnessed their colleagues misapplying the law will be used to supplement the case which will go to trial in 2008.
Update: February 2008 AzAN's volunteers also surveyed and assisted voters during the February 5, 2008 Presidential Preference Election. They documented the disenfranchisement of hundreds of voters in Maricopa County. They helped many others find their correct polling places through the 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline. And they helped voters that had been erroneously turned away because they were told they had inadequate ID.
Arizona Advocacy Network 1616 E. Indian School Road, Suite 340 Phoenix, AZ 85016