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   From: communist-scum@womenvoteproject.org   
      
   PHOENIX –  Democrats are continuing their legal battle against   
   Arizona’s “ballot harvesting” law, claiming it was passed to   
   dilute minority voting power.   
      
   This comes even as a federal judge recently ruled the law was   
   constitutional.   
      
   The law, which makes it illegal for absentee voters to allow   
   others to collect their completed absentee ballots and submit   
   them to election officials on the voters' behalf, was enacted in   
   2016. Under the law, if a person gets caught taking other   
   people’s completed ballots to the polls for them, he or she   
   could face felony charges.   
      
   The Arizona Democratic Party and Democratic National Committee   
   sued the state and Maricopa County over the law. But it was   
   upheld May 8 after U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes ruled the   
   groups failed to show that the Arizona legislature passed the   
   law with the intent of suppressing minority voters.   
      
   Democrats have vowed to continue their legal fight.   
      
   “I respect the court’s decision but I don’t agree with it and   
   that’s why,” said State Rep. Richard Andrade, D-Glendale about   
   why the ruling was still being challenged. “It’s something that   
   really impacts certain people.”   
      
   Andrade said the law disenfranchises those who live in remote   
   areas, working-class families, minorities and those with   
   disabilities because they have a tough time getting to a post   
   office.   
      
   “You have your family to take care of and make sure you put food   
   on the table and everything, they’re not going to miss a day out   
   of work—or they might not be able to get away from their job to   
   even stop by the county elections to drop off that ballot   
   because they just don’t have that luxury,” Andrade said. “We are   
   taking that luxury away from people and punishing them by   
   saying, ‘Hey, your vote doesn’t matter.’”   
      
   Republicans argue the law is necessary to prevent voter fraud.   
   State Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, who sponsored the   
   bill, said she was pleased the court upheld the law. She said   
   ballot harvesting is ripe for abuse – and could disenfranchise   
   legitimate voters.   
      
   “Think about it. It’s election season and you’ve taken upon   
   yourself to perhaps knock on someone’s door or multiple doors   
   and collect their ballot with, I’m assuming, the intent to turn   
   the ballot into the ballot box,” Ugenti-Rita said. “But, in the   
   event that doesn’t happen, regardless of why it doesn’t happen,   
   you can see it that that has (an) impact on…that person’s ballot   
   to the election box. But, then also on the outcome. So, it’s not   
   a practice that really has enough benefit to justify continuing   
   to have it. So, that’s why I sponsored the bill and the court   
   agreed that it was within our statutory and constitutional   
   authority.”   
      
   Michelle Ugenti-Rita   
   @MichelleUgenti   
    Great News, my bill, HB2023 is upheld!! Yesterday District   
   Court Judge Douglas Rayes issued his decision in the Feldman v.   
   Arizona ballot harvesting case, and he ruled in favor of the   
   state and against the plaintiffs on all claims.   
      
   2:22 PM - May 9, 2018   
   21   
   See Michelle Ugenti-Rita's other Tweets   
      
   Voter fraud has become a national issue that has pitted   
   Republicans against Democrats. Republicans, in an attempt to   
   prevent voter fraud, have pushed for stringent ID and ballot   
   harvesting laws as Democrats have argued those efforts are a   
   veiled attempt to strip away minority voting power.   
      
   Ugenti-Rita said the intent behind Arizona’s law isn’t partisan.   
   Ballot fraud, she said, isn’t a partisan issue.   
      
      
   Donald J. Trump   
   ?   
   @realDonaldTrump   
    Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the   
   2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard   
   that the Commission not see their records or methods because   
   they know that many people are voting illegally. System is   
   rigged, must go to Voter I.D.   
      
   4:02 AM - Jan 4, 2018   
   109K   
   54.9K people are talking about this   
      
   “Elections are critical and the outcome of an election is   
   important and people have to have confidence in the outcome of   
   an election,” Ugenti-Rita said. “The best way to kind of effect   
   your government is at the election box. So, election integrity   
   is something that we have to safeguard. It doesn’t make sense to   
   allow a practice to exist that has the potential to increase   
   fraud and undermine the outcome of election or that confidence   
   in the election process.”   
      
   But Andrade points to studies that show voter fraud is not a   
   widespread issue and has not impacted the outcome of local   
   elections.   
      
   “There was not a case of voter fraud proven (in Arizona), but   
   yet this proceeded through,” Andrade said.   
      
   The issue is critical in Arizona because the state relies   
   heavily on mail-in voting. According to the Citizens Clean   
   Elections Commission, about 80 percent of Arizona voters choose   
   to receive their ballot in the mail.   
      
   “There was not a case of voter fraud proven (in Arizona), but   
   yet this proceeded through."   
      
   - State Rep. Richard Andrade, D-Glendale.   
   The ballot harvesting issue in Arizona came before the U.S.   
   Supreme Court in 2016 and the court suspended a ruling that   
   would have temporarily blocked the law while it was making its   
   way through the courts.   
      
   The case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.   
   There’s a possibility the appeal could end up in the U.S.   
   Supreme Court again.   
      
   http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/15/dems-wage-battle-   
   against-arizona-s-ballot-harvesting-ban-amid-voter-fraud-   
   concerns.html   
          
      
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