GOP Lawmakers Plan To Bypass Dems To Push Ballot Agenda

(Daily360.com) The Republican majority legislature in Arizona approved two controversial ballot measures that may supercharge voter turnout in November’s presidential election.

One measure would allow police to arrest immigrants that have entered the country illegally. State judges would be able to order that the illegal immigrants get deported. Governor Katie Hobbs is against the measure, but didn’t have the veto power to prevent it from passing as a November ballot measure. If voters approve the proposal, it is expected to face significant legal challenges.

A Democrat-led ballot proposal establishing the right to an abortion may also be included on November’s ballot. If approved, the proposal would provide the right to an abortion up until the point of viability. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he thinks the issues of immigration, abortion, and inflation will ultimately determine the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.

When there are ballot measures relating to issues that voters find important, the turnout for the election is expected to be higher. Arizona is one of the key swing states that President Biden won in 2020 that helped him win the electoral college. He is currently polling behind Donald Trump in all six swing states, including Arizona.

Another measure that GOP legislators approved for the ballot will make it more difficult for citizen petitioners to get ballot initiatives approved. The measure would require citizen petitioners to get signatures equal to 10% of the voter turnout in the previous election. That 10% would be applied to each legislative district, which would require rural voters to also sign on to the ballot measure.

Republicans say the move is necessary so that heavily populated counties don’t dictate policy for rural residents around the state. The latest polling data in Arizona as of June 10 shows Donald Trump leading Joe Biden by 4.2 points. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is receiving 8.8% of the vote while Trump and Biden have 42.9% and 38.7% respectively.