Barber 1st Congressperson To Join Referendum Campaign Against Arizona Election Reform Law; "Stop Voter Suppression In Arizona"; CD2 NOT One That Was Libertarian-Influenced

(9:35am: Briefly edited to clarify which portions of law Barber addressed in letter.)

Arizona Rep. Ron Barber (D-CD2) sent out an e-mail (reproduced below) to supporters this morning, strongly urging them to "Stop Voter Suppression in Arizona" by joining the referendum effort to stop the election reform bill passed at the end of the Arizona legislative session and signed by Governor Jan Brewer.

A coalition of groups needs to gather more than 86,000 valid signatures by September 12 to keep the law from going into effect for next year's election, and to put it on the November 2014 ballot.  Among the provisions that prompted the referendum effort are changes that would require Libertarians and other third parties to obtain significantly more nominating signatures to be placed on the ballot.

Republicans believe that Libertarian candidates effected the final results in two Arizona Congressional elections last year.  Barber's was NOT one of them.  (The contests in CD1 and CD9 were decided by fewer votes than the Libertarian received.)

Barber's letter - sent from his campaign and not from his official e-mail - does not mention the nominating signature issue, instead emphasizing the provisions regarding early ballots (the Permanent Early Voting List, and the delivery of early ballots): "Under the guise of "election reform" we saw voter suppression rushed through the State Legislature by the Republican majority and signed into law by the Governor with an almost unprecedented lack of public input. The law makes voting more difficult for seniors, students, minorities, and lower-income individuals and families." (emphasis his)

Here is the entire text of the e-mail, below the jump:

Dear mitch,

Last month a bill passed in our State Legislature that would undermine one of our most valuable rights: our right to vote.

Under the guise of "election reform" we saw voter suppression rushed through the State Legislature by the Republican majority and signed into law by the Governor with an almost unprecedented lack of public input. The law makes voting more difficult for seniors, students, minorities, and lower-income individuals and families.

But the fight isn't over - we still have a chance to stop this discriminatory law in its tracks, but only if you step up right now.

For more information on fighting back in Pima County please call Shasta McManus, Executive Director of the Pima County Democratic Party, at 520-326-3716 or you can pick up petitions at 4639 E 1st St. in Tucson. In Cochise County please call Pat Fleming, Chair of the Cochise County Democratic Committee, at 520-249-5228. You can also call Barbara Lubin with the Arizona Democratic Party at 602-234-6800 and pick up petitions at 2910 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix.

We need to collect over 80,000 signatures before September 12th. If we can collect enough signatures over the next few weeks the law will be prevented from going into effect and will instead be placed in front of voters for their decision on the November ballot.

Join us in the fight against voter suppression in Arizona by helping to gather signatures. There are only a few short weeks to collect 80,000 signatures and your help, right now, will get us  there.

Sincerely,

P.S. If you want to help stop voter suppression call Shasta at 520-326-3716, Pat at 520-249-5228, or Barbara at 602-234-6800 and they will give you all the information you need to get started.

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.