The Arizona Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would put new security requirements on early ballot drop boxes. The measure would place a camera or video recorder to take images of each person depositing a ballot.
It will also be programmed not to accept more than seven ballots per person. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision that allows individuals to drop off those of family and household members.
GOP Sen. Kelly Townsend introduced the bill.
"We don't want to use the narrative that if you try to put any kind of control, that's somehow voter suppression. I can't accept that. We have to have security in voting or people won't vote," Townsend said.
Democratic Sen. Raquel Terán said the way to restore confidence in elections is to stop pushing claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.
The bill also would stop drop boxes from accepting ballots if the camera isn’t working. Democrats worry how that will impact voters who don’t have the opportunity to find another drop off location.
