By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate Republicans advanced several election-related measures this month aimed at addressing foreign influence in ballot initiatives, strengthening election system monitoring, and improving signature verification for early ballots.
The legislation was passed by the Arizona Senate on Monday and includes SB 1647, SCR 1005, SB 1654, and SB 1634. The bills now advance to the Arizona House of Representatives for further consideration.
One measure, SB 1647, sponsored by Sen. Mark Finchem (R-LD1), would prohibit foreign corporations, individuals, and nongovernmental entities from contributing money or in-kind resources intended to influence the outcome of Arizona ballot measure elections.
The proposal would also require campaign finance filers to certify under penalty of perjury that prohibited foreign contributions were not accepted or used in connection with ballot initiatives.
A related proposal, SCR 1005, would place the same prohibition before Arizona voters for approval on a statewide ballot, allowing voters to decide whether to enshrine restrictions on foreign-funded ballot measure activity in state law.
“Arizonans expect their elections to reflect the will of American voters, not foreign money or outside influence,” Finchem said in a statement. “These measures protect the integrity of our ballot initiatives and ensure decisions affecting Arizona’s future are made by our citizens alone.”
Another bill, SB 1654, would appropriate $100,000 to reimburse counties for implementing endpoint monitoring systems intended to detect signal interception or other attempts to interfere with election equipment.
According to the Senate Republican Caucus, the funding would support counties in identifying potential threats and monitoring election-related systems used during voting operations.
SB 1647, SCR 1005, and SB 1654 passed along party-line votes, 16-13.
Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh (R-LD3) sponsored SB 1634, which would require the Arizona Department of Transportation to provide county recorders with a copy of a voter’s handwritten signature collected during driver’s license transactions.
The change would allow election officials to compare Motor Vehicle Division signatures with those submitted on early ballot envelopes during verification.
“Signature verification is one of the most important safeguards we have to protect early voting,” Kavanagh said in a statement. “Providing county recorders with direct access to handwritten signatures strengthens election security while helping officials verify ballots quickly and consistently.”
SB 1634 passed unanimously, winning bipartisan support.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
