Arizona voters are looking for Sen. Kelly to be Harris’s running mate, reforms to the Supreme Court, and support for a law to prevent noncitizen voting. In the battleground state of Arizona, recent polls show former President Trump leading Biden by 2 percentage points. Voters in Maricopa County shared their opinions on national issues, including Harris’s nomination, preference for her running mate, and Biden’s Supreme Court reform plan.
After Biden withdrew and endorsed Harris, many voters expressed relief and support for her campaign. They favored Sen. Mark Kelly as Harris’s running mate, citing his qualifications and background. Some voters also mentioned other potential candidates like Josh Shapiro. Rep. Ruben Gallego highlighted the strong race Kelly could bring with a focus on Arizona’s border perspective.
While some voters preferred Kelly to stay in his current position, others mentioned candidates from states with high electoral votes, like Michigan. Concerns were raised about Harris potentially considering only white men for her running mate, with some voters emphasizing the need for candidates’ qualifications and policies over identity politics.
Biden’s proposal for Supreme Court reforms, including term limits and a code of conduct, received mixed reactions from Arizona voters. While some supported the idea of term limits for justices, others called for more comprehensive reforms to ensure accountability and prevent undue influence on the Court. “That may not be entirely accurate.”
“If there’s a proposal, it should be comprehensive—not just for one branch,” stated Julie Magro, a Republican voter at the Living Word Polling Station who switched from being an Independent.
“I completely agree with it. I think they need term limits. … I think things have gone too far,” Bish added.
Biden’s suggested constitutional amendment on presidential immunity was met with a lukewarm response.
“I don’t believe we should be amending the Constitution,” Murphy commented.
“It’s already been decided, so why revisit it,” said Richey, a participant in the Republican primary.
**Ballot Access and Proof of Citizenship**
Voter eligibility has emerged as a campaign topic in Arizona. In 2022, then-Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, signed two bills into law. House Bill 2492 mandated voters to provide proof of citizenship when casting a vote in presidential elections and for voting by mail for any office, while House Bill 2243 required county records to cancel a voter’s registration if they suspect the voter is not a U.S. citizen. These laws have faced opposition from Democrats and Latino groups, who argue that they could suppress voting by U.S. citizens of Latino descent.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona invalidated several provisions of these laws on Feb. 29, ruling that they breach federal laws on civil rights and voter registration. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit declined to overturn the district court’s decision on July 18, likely preventing their implementation before the 2024 election. Nevertheless, Arizona’s independent voters generally expressed approval of these state laws.
“We must ensure that only eligible individuals are voting. I’d rather go through additional steps for that than have ineligible individuals voting,” stated Richey.
“If you’re not a citizen, you shouldn’t vote. If you don’t have ID, you shouldn’t vote. That’s what they’re trying to do by granting amnesty to 20 million people so they can vote. That’s a disgrace,” Murphy commented.
Republicans have capitalized on the debate, suggesting that undocumented immigrants crossing into Arizona from Mexico will vote for Democrats.
“Due to the open border that the Biden administration has failed to close— in fact, that they purposely opened— we now have so many non-citizens in the country that if just one out of 100 of them voted, they would cast hundreds of thousands of votes,” stated House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on May 8.
Early voting in Arizona commences on Oct. 9. Please rewrite this sentence.
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