A bill that aims to accelerate vote counting in Arizona passed its first test Jan. 15 after the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee approved it 4-3 along party lines.

SB1011 would eliminate early ballots delivered on Election Day and instead require those voters to drop off their ballots by 7 p.m. on the Friday before an election. An amended version of the bill removes the requirement for voting locations to be open on the Saturday and Monday before the Election Day for in-person early voting and would allow county recorder offices to send ballots up to 29 days before an election. The previous version called for ballots to be sent up to 27 days before an election.

Other provisions would prohibit public school principals from denying a request to use their school as a polling place and allowing voters to show identification instead of having to verify their ballot signature.

The bill is part of a larger effort gaining momentum among Republicans in both chambers who want to emulate Florida and get results on election night instead of days later.

The House ad hoc Committee on Election Integrity and Florida-Style Voting also met Jan. 15 to consider a concurrent resolution that would ask voters if they prefer an election system similar to Florida’s. 

Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, filed HCR2013, which proposes moving the late-early ballot drop off date to the Friday before an election like the Senate bill. 

The House measure would also eliminate the signature verification process by giving early voters a unique voter ID number. Kolodin said this was a faster way to verify ballots for election officials and it eliminated changed or irregular signatures from voters who may have difficulty signing their signature consistently. 

One provision of Kolodin’s measure that some election officials say could be a challenge is a requirement for early voters to verify their addresses with county recorders before every election. Kolodin said county recorders in Florida do this practice through online web portals or even some county recorders will have their staff call voters directly. 

Critics say the move to a Florida-style election process would potentially limit voting access, especially in rural areas, cause confusion among voters and not provide contingencies for unforeseen circumstances that may hinder someone from dropping off their ballot in a timely manner, such as forgetting their identification card. 

There are concerns regarding potential obstacles for voters with disabilities and others who may need a caregiver to drop off their ballot.

Republicans have countered by saying the bill would provide voters plenty of time to return their ballots.

Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, who introduced the Senate bill, testified before the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, saying speedier elections are a “constituent issue” rooted in frustration over slow election results.

“I think I received more frustration over this issue, more texts, more comments than almost any other issue since I’ve been here,” Peterson said. “So I committed to making sure Arizona could be a state, just like so many other states, who have election results (the) night of instead being the state who delivered their electoral results last.”

Sen. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, said she disagreed with the idea that people want quicker election results so much that they’re willing to sacrifice voter access.

“I think this bill is an absolutely atrocious attempt to make it harder to drop off your early ballots,” Ortiz said. “This nonsense about so many people wanting election results right away, and therefore we have to jeopardize voter access, is just ridiculous.”

Ortiz said the Democrats have a plan of their own to speed up election results that would include expanding in-person voting during the weekend and Monday before Election Day, removing duplicative identification requirements and increasing the funding for county election departments.

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap spoke in support of the bill, citing concerns over the security and integrity of the state’s elections.

“I think that, across the board, concerns over election integrity have been a major issue in Arizona for a very long time,” said Heap, a former state lawmaker and an attorney.

Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly expressed concerns over accessibility, especially in rural areas outside of Tucson where there are limited buildings to set up voting facilities, she said. Cázares-Kelly also said there are no drop boxes in Pima County.

“There’s major concerns about reducing the time of being able to return a ballot, especially for household members who are returning (a ballot) on behalf of another in a rural area,” she said. “I think that is very much an issue.”