Governor Hobbs — Use Your Power to Protect Democracy

Dear Governor Hobbs:

The Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, a coalition of 260+ national and local partners including organizations from the racial justice, faith, labor, women’s rights, environmental, and good government space would like to thank you for your commitment to honoring Arizonans and their most sacred right –the right to vote. Your dedication to ensuring our democracy remains accessible to all by preventing anti-democratic policies from being enacted is critical in our current climate.

The bills that we are asking you to veto directly harm the ability for Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and other marginalized communities to access the ballot. These legislative attacks undermine faith in our systems and allow for partisan interference in what should be a nonpartisan process. Big Lie proponents in the Arizona legislature are actively perpetuating false narratives to justify their effort to restrict our right to vote, and to grant themselves power to overturn the will of the people in the 2024 election if they do not like the results. Below we’ve listed a series of bills that pose grave threats to our democracy by limiting access to mail-in voting, allowing election challengers to undermine election officials, increasing space for election denial, and creating barriers to the ballot for rural and Indigenous communities across Arizona. We strongly recommend you use your veto power to stop these anti-voter bills from advancing further.

 

To that end, we ask that you veto the following bills that address the following democracy issue areas:

Post Election Accountability and Election Denialism:
HB2078: counties; elections; state audits; HB2308: secretary of state; election; recusal, HB2319: elections; rule of construction; HB2325: voting; procedures; electors in detention, HB2552: voting; elections; tally; prohibition; HB2591: elections; early ballot drop boxes; HB2560/SB1324: images; voter lists; records; penalties; HB2613: voting equipment; requirements; origin; HB2691: elections; ballot chain of custody; HB2722: elections; option; full hand count; HB2757: court of appeals; retention election

Voter Registration and Voter Purging:
SB1142: voter registration events; posting; SB1143: voting registrations; ballot requests; source; SB1170: ballot drop boxes; requirements; appropriation; SB1175: registrations; observers; counting procedures; verification

These bills threaten our democracy and strip power away from the people of Arizona. We cannot allow extremist legislators to rig the rules to put themselves and their party in power at the expense of the communities they were elected to represent. You have the power to stop them, and to ensure your constituents continue to have a voice in the decisions that shape their lives and our communities. On behalf of the thousands of Arizonans our coalition represents,we thank you for your commitment to protecting democracy and thank you in advance for hopefully vetoing these new bills aimed at infringing our right to vote.

In the face of near constant attacks on the freedom to vote in Arizona and in states across the nation, we need democracy champions who will not allow the voice of the people to be silenced. We’re hopeful that you will continue to use the power of your pen to strike down anti-democratic laws aimed at overturning the will of the people.

Thank you, Governor Hobbs, for protecting the rights of Arizonans, and for sending the message to leaders across the country that we will not allow attacks on our democracy to succeed. A threat to democracy anywhere is a threat to democracy everywhere, and we know we can count on you to keep Arizona safe.

    What is the Declaration for American Democracy?

    A Coalition of 260+ Member Organizations

    The Declaration for American Democracy is an anti-oppression coalition working together to make the promise of democracy real for all of us.

    We believe our democratic systems, institutions, and leaders must reflect, represent, and respect the diverse, multicultural nation that we are and have always been. For democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us and address the deep systemic, institutional challenges that continue to block meaningful progress to this day. As America’s diversity continues to grow, so must our democracy.

    Our Mission

    Today our democracy faces crises on multiple fronts -- compounded by a deeply problematic history that has held us back from achieving an inclusive and equitable multiracial  nation since our founding. Powerful corporations and wealthy special interests use their money and influence to shape public policy priorities. Extremist politicians are putting up deliberate barriers to block access to the ballot box and silence the voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, low-income, LGBTQIA, disability, and other marginalized communities. State legislatures are manipulating Congressional maps to allow politicians to pick their voters and hoard power for their political parties. And our government has failed to respond after four years of a corrupt administration and Supreme Court decisions gutting voting rights protections and anti-corruption laws.

    Working together, we are committed to passing national standards, including the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and DC Statehood, to transform our political system and move our country closer to realizing the true promise of democracy. However, we will not be satisfied with any single reform and will continue to press for the structural changes necessary to rebalance power for the people and undo the historic harms that have barred communities that have been marginalized and denied political power since the founding of the United States.

    We believe people of color, young people, people with disabilities, language minorities, and other historically disenfranchised communities should have equal access to the ballot and be equitably represented in government. We believe everyday people should have a stronger voice in elections than wealthy donors and special interests. And we believe our government should be transparent and accountable to the people.

    Together we must ensure the freedom to vote is a fundamental American right and that the people -- regardless of our color, our background, or our zip code - hold the power, not the wealthy and corporations.

    Our Vision

    Therefore, we, the Declaration for American Democracy, are committed to working together to achieve this vision and model our values in how we work together. As a coalition, we will invest in each other and treat each other with respect. We will acknowledge and learn from our past, including the legacy of racism and white supremacy in our movement and democratic institutions. In decision making we will center Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, language minorities, as well as other impacted communities. And we will invest in each other through professional development, collaborative grantmaking, and shared projects.

    Our 260+ Member Organizations

    DFAD Members

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