An Arizona House Republican said Thursday that the state’s Republican Party was concerned about the automatic sending of ballots due to election security issues, noting that “not everyone should vote.”
Arizona House Representative John Kavanagh (R) told CNN that Republican lawmakers are concerned that votes cast without being asked of people who have died or been displaced may contribute to voter fraud, while accusing Democrats of “being willing to risk fraud” to get more votes.
“There’s a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “Democrats value as many votes as possible and are willing to risk fraud. Republicans are more concerned about fraud, so we don’t mind putting security measures in place that don’t allow everyone to vote, but not everyone should. to vote “.
“Not everyone wants to vote, and if someone isn’t interested in voting, that probably means they’re totally uninformed about the issues,” he said. “Quantity is important, but we also need to look at the quality of the votes.”
He also called for democratic efforts to register voters and get those who have not voted to do so, saying that “you can greatly influence the outcome of elections if one party pays people to come out actively and aggressively. and retrieve these ballots. “
Kavanagh’s statements come as Republican-majority legislatures in Arizona and other states are considering bills that would impose voting restrictions after President Trump
Donald TrumpThe note: How he revalidated the COVID policy in Biden seeks his moment with his pandemic A year with the coronavirus: How we get here MORE has falsely claimed that widespread electoral fraud contaminated the 2020 elections.
The Brennan Justice Center at New York University found in late February that there were more than 250 bills that would restrict voting across the country, including nearly two dozen in Arizona.
Among Arizona’s bills is legislation passed by the state Senate that would require voters to include identification procedures with postal voting. Another, approved by a state House committee, would remove voters from the permanent early voting list if consecutive election cycles are lost.
Arizona Representative Athena Salman (D) told CNN that she believed Republicans are following the laws because it is “the only way” to win the party after the state rupture by President Biden
Joe BidenManchin cements key vote status in Senate 50-50 Note: how COVID revalued policy Post-pandemic plans for lawmakers: Chuck E. Cheese, visiting friends, clean hugs MORE and Democratic senators in the last election. Arizona had not elected a Democratic presidential candidate in more than twenty years.
“We’re trying to make it harder for everyone to vote based on the hope and desire that the people who hurt the most and the ones who disallow the most are the people who are least likely to vote Republican,” he said.
Other Republican legislatures have gained ground in the effort, with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signing a bill to shorten early voting and close ballots in advance and the Georgia state Senate repealing absentee votes without excuse.