The Arizona state legislature used its plenary authority on Monday to prohibit all counties in the state from using electronic voting machines in any future federal elections, disregarding Governor Katie Hobbs.
Democrat Gov. Hobbs vetoed an election integrity bill in April after the Senate and House passed the measure, causing the Republican-dominated legislature to respond with a new approach.
In a letter to all 15 counties, Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli said Hobbs is putting Arizona and the nation in a vulnerable and dangerous position by using the state's electronic voting systems made with components from countries considered adversaries.
The legislature is using its authority granted in the U.S. Constitution to bypass the power of the governor. They claim SCR 1037 is non-binding and overrides state law as a matter of national security, citing a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that deemed election infrastructure "critical" to the nation. As such, the resolution has now been transmitted to the Secretary of State's office, rather than to the governor.
"No electronic voting systems in the state of Arizona may be used as the primary method for conducting, counting, tabulating or verifying federal elections unless those systems meet the requirements set forth in SCR 1037," states the resolution.
Sen. Wendy Rogers said on Monday that they are prepared for a legal battle, fearlessly saying, "Fine, take us to court." The letter is addressed to county leaders, but the pressure is already high from the executive branch. The attorney general and secretary of state said the resolution does not have the force of law, meaning a legal battle is to come.
"This is we the state legislature again recovering our plenary authority to tell them this is the way it's going to be," said Rogers. "This is a separation of powers issue."
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Arizona continues to be a hotspot for the election integrity battle between Republicans and Democrats. Like Wisconsin and North Carolina, the Arizona legislature is controlled by Republicans, while the executive branch is controlled by Democrats.
The Convention of States movement seeks to rein in the power of the federal government through an Article V convention. Support the movement by signing the petition below.
