Arizona is about to make a mess of overseas military votes
Arizona military families stationed overseas are at risk of not getting their ballots in time to vote for their next commander-in-chief.
That’s unacceptable.
The state Legislature needs to fix this problem, and fix it now.
Here’s the issue:
Recounts make sense, but they take time
In 2022, lawmakers passed — and the governor signed — Senate Bill 1008, which lowers the threshold for triggering an automatic recount in close races.
Given the high stakes and intense interest in many federal, state and legislative contests — and Arizona’s status as a “purple state” where independents outnumber Republicans and Democrats — it is understandable that lawmakers wanted county election officials to take a second pass at more races to make sure the declared winners did, in fact, win.
But more recounts take time, and legislators didn’t factor that in when they passed SB 1008. They added the near certainty of more labor-intensive recounts without adding more time between elections.
As a result, Arizona’s 15 counties say they won’t be able to meet critical statutory deadlines in 2024, including a deadline that ensures overseas military members and their families get ballots.
In Maricopa County alone, more than 10,000 people voted this way in the 2020 general election.
If we miss deadline: A worst-case scenario could unfold
Federal law requires states to send overseas military voters their absentee ballots 45 days before an election. For the November 2024 general election, ballots would have to go out in mid-September.
The problem is that recounts from the August primary will likely stretch into September, leaving little to no time for overseas ballots to be prepared and sent.
If counties need 19 days, give it to them
Military voters and their families are entitled by law to get an accurate ballot, in enough time for them to vote it, return it and have it counted.
Election administrators from across Arizona have proposed a 19-day solution that fixes this problem in 2024 — and in every subsequent major election.
It involves small adjustments to the election calendar, including an earlier 2024 primary election, that will have little to no impact on voters.
Some people are quibbling with the math, wondering if counties really need 19 days.
As a military commander, I’ve always said you have to trust your troops on the ground. Election administrators are the experts on the front lines; if they say 19 days, you give them 19 days.
Anything less risks disenfranchising voters, including those serving our country overseas. Duty requires action; I implore the legislature to act swiftly and to find a clean solution.
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael T. McGuire is former Arizona Adjutant General. On X, formerly Twitter: @GeneralMcGuire.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona is facing an election-timing train wreck. Fix it, already
