The Arizona Supreme Court has dismissed a Republican challenge to executive orders signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs aimed at making voting and registration easier. The orders included using state buildings as voting locations and requiring state agencies to provide voter registration information and assistance. The Republican Party of Arizona petitioned the court without first going through a county court, but Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer found no reason to take up the case. The court did not comment on the merits of the GOP’s arguments against the orders.
Hobbs, a Democrat, signed the executive orders in November 2023. The GOP and Gina Swoboda raised concerns about using state buildings for voting, particularly facilities belonging to the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Corrections. They argued that the orders exceeded Hobbs’s powers and violated the separation of powers clause in the Constitution. They sought to block the orders and prevent state agencies from implementing them.
In response, the governor’s office argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to rule on the matter. They also pointed out that the orders were challenged 10 months after being signed into law. The GOP’s lawsuit was filed shortly before the ballot printing deadline for the general election. It is unclear if they will appeal the decision or file the case in another court.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, absentee and mail-in ballots will be sent out in Arizona between October 8 and October 11, with in-person voting starting on October 8. Please rewrite this sentence.
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