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Secretary Of State Candidates Debate Dual Track Voting

vote sticker
Jude Joffe-Block/KJZZ

The two finalists for Arizona Secretary of State deliberated about voter participation in Tuesday night’s debate.

Republican nominee Michele Reagan and Democratic nominee Terry Goddard disagreed about the dual track voting system awaiting a ruling in federal court.

Arizona voters passed a ballot measure in 2004 requiring proof of citizenship to vote in state elections. Now if voters can’t show proof of citizenship they can only get a ballot for federal races.

Reagan said having separate voting qualifications for state and federal elections was necessary. 

“The dual track voting was something the Attorney General said here’s a solution that satisfies the need to satisfy two laws that conflict with one another,” said Reagan. 

Reagan said laws passed by voters deserve more weight than laws passed by the legislature. Goddard said the dual track voting system is not only a needless expense but also excludes groups of eligible voters. 

“This is an issue that we didn’t have to do and it costs us a huge amount of money in a state that is strapped for cash. I think it is unpardonable and unnecessary,” said Goddard. 

The candidates also spent almost a third of the debate arguing about SB 1062 a bill vetoed in January that would have given businesses the right to refuse service based on religious beliefs. 

Alexandra Olgin was a Senior Field Correspondent at KJZZ from 2013 to 2016.