By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A federal judge has again blocked the Trump administration’s plan to regulate mail-in voting.
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The injunction found the new postal service rule dictating how mail-in ballots are sent is likely unlawful and unconstitutional.
Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly said voters have had a lot of questions about what changes, if any, are coming their way for the midterm elections.
She said no changes have been made as of now, but she worries about how the ongoing legal battle will impact voter trust, especially in a state where approximately 80% of voters cast their ballot by mail.
“I think this is an attempt to destabilize early voting, and it really is causing fear,” Cázares-Kelly said.
As the legal battle over mail-in voting continues, Cázares-Kelly said voters are left with questions.
“We’ve had an increase in our phone volume, in our website traffic,” Cazares-Kelly said.
What the executive order requires
The Executive Order, issued in March, seeks to change the vote-by-mail system to ensure only U.S. citizens vote.
It would require mail-in ballots to have a unique barcode to identify voters and allow the U.S. Postal Service to refuse those ballots if states don’t comply.
Cázares-Kelly said Pima County is already in compliance with those requirements, but other Arizona counties don’t have the same resources.
“There are counties that are hand-stuffing or hand-assembling their ballot packets to their voters. All of those people who are currently doing that are doing so to save money,” Cázares-Kelly said.
The order also requires local election officials to upload the names and addresses of every early voter to an online portal. As of today, Cázares-Kelly said the portal hasn’t been launched, and they haven’t received any information about it.
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“The time is running out to make any significant changes, and we don’t know how that could impact other voters,” Cázares-Kelly said.
Ballots set to go out for early voting
The recorder’s office is sending its first batch of ballots to voters who are overseas or in the military in less than two weeks.
On Oct. 7, more than half a million ballots will go out for the start of early voting.
With the midterm elections looming, Cázares-Kelly said any changes to the vote-by-mail system are too late.
“Nobody was consulted; no people who actually facilitate elections were consulted in these major changes, and therefore, no, I don’t think they were made with the public interests in mind,” she said.
Even if the order is struck down in the courts, Cázares-Kelly said the impact on voter confidence could be widespread.
“All of that is just terribly exhausting, and I think it’s specifically meant to discourage people from participating,” Cázares-Kelly said.
The recorder’s office is moving forward with business as usual.
Cázares-Kelly encourages voters to check their registration and ensure their ballot information is accurate and up to date by visiting the Pima County Recorder’s website.
The general election is Nov. 3.
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