San Tan Valley area voters will decide this November whether to write a set of new election rules into the Arizona Constitution, after state lawmakers voted to put the question on the statewide ballot.

The Arizona Legislature gave final approval on June 12 to House Concurrent Resolution 2001, called the Arizona Secure Elections Act, sending it to voters at the November general election. Because it is a measure referred by the Legislature, it does not need the governor's signature to reach the ballot. Every registered voter in the San Tan Valley area will see it on their ballot.

The measure was sponsored by Rep. Alexander Kolodin, a Scottsdale Republican. It also drew support from a San Tan Valley lawmaker. Rep. Neal Carter, a Republican who lives in and represents San Tan Valley, backed the measure on the floor before the vote. "These reforms are necessary," Carter said. "They really are."

What the Measure Would Do

If voters approve it, the amendment would make several changes to how Arizona runs elections. It would limit voting in state elections to U.S. citizens; require a government-issued ID to cast a ballot, including for people who vote by mail; bar foreign nationals from spending money to influence Arizona elections; and give voters the option to have their ballot counted at their voting location. The change would not take effect until the 2028 election cycle.

Some of what the measure proposes is already required under Arizona law. Arizona is the only state that requires people to prove their citizenship when they register to vote, and only U.S. citizens may register. Voters who cast a ballot in person already must show ID at the polls. Those rules trace back to Proposition 200, which Arizona voters approved in 2004.

Where the Debate Is

The most-debated part of the measure is the ID requirement for mail ballots. Right now, Arizona voters who vote by mail do not show a photo ID each time; instead, election workers verify the signature on the ballot envelope against the voter's record. Most Arizona voters cast their ballots by mail.

Supporters, including Kolodin, say putting the rules in the Constitution protects them and answers voters' concerns about election security. Opponents, including Democratic lawmakers and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, say requiring mail voters to submit ID each election would add a barrier to a voting method that millions of Arizonans rely on, and they argue the measure does not spell out how mail voters would meet the requirement.

When It's Decided

The Arizona Secure Elections Act, also listed as the FAST Election Results Act, will appear on the November general-election ballot. The Secretary of State's office places referred measures before voters at that election. If it passes, the new rules would begin with the 2028 election cycle.