Measure would protect early voting in Arizona

Petition drive seeks to enshrine early voting rights in state constitution

Feb. 4, 2026 at 5:07pm

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A new initiative in Arizona seeks to add a provision to the state constitution that would protect the right of voters to cast early ballots, including dropping off mail-in ballots on Election Day. The measure, backed by a group called Protect the Vote Arizona, would cement early voting as a "fundamental right" and prevent the legislature from restricting it in the future. This comes as another proposal, backed by a Republican state lawmaker, aims to limit early voting by setting a new deadline for ballot drop-offs.

Why it matters

Early voting has become increasingly popular in Arizona, with nearly 90% of voters taking advantage of it in recent elections. However, efforts to restrict or eliminate early voting have emerged, raising concerns about voter access and election integrity. This initiative seeks to enshrine early voting rights in the state constitution to prevent future legislative changes.

The details

The Protect the Vote Arizona initiative would add language to the state constitution declaring a "fundamental right" to vote early, both in person and by dropping off mail-in ballots. This would prevent the legislature from restricting early voting in the future. In contrast, a separate measure backed by Republican state Rep. Alexander Kolodin would set a new deadline of 7 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day for early ballot drop-offs, arguing this would speed up the vote-counting process.

  • The Protect the Vote Arizona initiative needs to gather 383,923 valid signatures by July 2, 2026 to get the measure on the November 2026 ballot.
  • Rep. Kolodin's measure, HCR 2001, is currently awaiting a final vote in the state House before moving to the Senate.

The players

Protect the Vote Arizona

A group that has launched a petition drive to add a provision to the Arizona Constitution protecting the right to vote early, including dropping off mail-in ballots on Election Day.

Rep. Alexander Kolodin

A Republican state lawmaker who is pushing his own measure, HCR 2001, that would set a new deadline for early ballot drop-offs and give the legislature the ability to eliminate early voting in the future.

Stacy Pearson

A political strategist whose firm, Lumen Strategies, is managing the Protect the Vote Arizona campaign.

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What they’re saying

“This now takes mail-in voting as it currently stands, the windows in which it currently stands, and codifies that in the state constitution. It takes mail-in voting that has worked well in Arizona for decades out of the whim of the legislature.”

— Stacy Pearson, Political strategist (tucson.com)

“Republicans in Arizona are unfazed by the astroturfed efforts of groups like this to confuse voters and codify policy that would render Arizona's elections less secure, less trustworthy, and less lawful.”

— Rep. Alexander Kolodin, State lawmaker (tucson.com)

What’s next

The Protect the Vote Arizona initiative will need to gather the required signatures by July 2, 2026 to get the measure on the November 2026 ballot. Rep. Kolodin's HCR 2001 measure is still working its way through the state legislature.

The takeaway

The battle over early voting rights in Arizona highlights the ongoing debate around election policies and voter access. The Protect the Vote Arizona initiative seeks to enshrine these rights in the state constitution, while the Kolodin measure aims to impose new restrictions. Voters will ultimately decide the future of early voting in the state.