AZ Central recently published a new oped by Mi Familia Vota, Arizona Coalition for Change, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), and Chispa Arizona on the new federal lawsuit challenging two voter suppression laws that were recently passed by the Arizona Legislature. Free Speech For People is honored to represent these voting rights groups in this case, alongside our co-counsel Mayer Brown LLP and Quarles & Brady, LLP in Arizona.

The following is an excerpt from the new piece:

On Aug. 17, we filed a legal challenge to block Senate Bill 1485, a measure that undoes our state’s popular Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) and SB 1003, an effort to limit opportunities for voters to “cure” their ballots and address issues related to voter signatures. Both of these bills were passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey this year.

SB 1485 removes the “Permanent” from the PEVL, taking voters off the early voting list if they do not vote by mail for two consecutive elections and fail to respond to a notice. This could disenfranchise thousands of us and put undue pressure on in-person polling locations – approximately 80% of Arizona voters vote by mail.

SB 1003 also limits existing opportunities for voters to address issues related to signatures with their ballots, a change expected to disproportionately impact people of color.

Last year, Free Speech For People filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Mi Familia Vota and Arizona Coalition for Change seeking to extend the voter registration period in the state, citing restrictions on registration activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our victory in that case resulted in more than 35,000 new voters being able to register to vote in advance of the 2020 general election. 

This new lawsuit seeks federal court intervention to overturn these voter suppression laws and to protect Arizonans’ right to vote, citing the First, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Read the entire piece here.

Learn more about the lawsuit here.

Learn the key facts of this case and read our full complaint here