PHOENIX — After a record turnout in November swept Democrats into several key federal and state offices in Arizona, the Republicans who have dominated the Statehouse for a decade did two things: They raised the specter of election fraud. And they proposed a sheaf of bills to tighten the rules for registering to vote and for casting ballots.
With the presidential election 18 months away, a series of state-level struggles are underway this spring to control the rules for voting in 2020. But warnings of stolen votes and corrupted voter rolls that used to reliably muster support for restrictions are now being countered by citizen initiatives to restore voting rights and a wave of grass-roots activism. And suddenly, the fights are not so lopsided.
Since 2010, 25 states, mostly Republican-led, have significantly toughened ballot laws. But by the time Arizona’s legislature adjourned last week, only two comparatively minor new bills tightening ballot rules had made it to the governor’s desk.
