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Arizona State Rep Says 'Quality' Of Votes Should Matter, Only Informed Should Cast Ballots

A conservative Arizona state lawmaker rationalized his support for a Republican-backed bill to restrict voting access on Thursday, as legislators aim to pass a series of similar measures.

Discussing one legislative proposal that would remove certain voters from a state roster dictating which residents receive absentee ballots automatically, Republican Rep. John Kavanagh told CNN that "everybody shouldn't be voting."

His remarks referenced a bill that passed in the Arizona Senate on Monday. If passed during an upcoming House session, the bill would require that permanent registered voters who have not participated in the past four elections submit an official notice expressing their desire to receive mail-in ballots during future contests. All voters who meet that criteria would receive letters from the state before forthcoming elections to gauge their interest in voting absentee. It would not send mail ballots to those who fail to respond with express confirmation.

Kavanagh chairs the Arizona state Senate's Government and Elections Committee, which approved the bill's passage earlier this week. Echoing arguments from some other Republicans, both within and outside of Arizona, the legislator suggested that this type of measure could provide a safeguard against voter fraud, according to CNN's reporting.

"There's a fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans," Kavanagh said in comments to the news outlet. "Democrats value as many people as possible voting, and they're willing to risk fraud. Republicans are more concerned about fraud, so we don't mind putting security measures in that won't let everybody vote—but everybody shouldn't be voting."

The state representative reportedly discussed effective grassroots efforts by Democratic—and some Republican—groups in several states ahead of the most recent general election. He noted that "you can greatly influence the outcome of the election if one side pays people to actively and aggressively go out and retrieve those ballots," in comments regarding strategies to reach and mobilize voters who are not registered, or are registered but have yet to cast ballots.

"Not everybody wants to vote, and if somebody is uninterested in voting, that probably means that they're totally uninformed on the issues," he continued, according to CNN. "Quantity is important, but we have to look at the quality of votes, as well."

Former president Donald Trump's false claims of election fraud causing his loss to President Joe Biden last November have been widely discredited, in court and national discourse, although remnants of his accusations continue to fuel some GOP-led legislative priorities. Upwards of 250 bills to limit voting rights were introduced in state legislatures across the country during the first few months of 2021.

Newsweek reached out to Kavanagh for further comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.

https://www.newsweek.com/arizona-state-r...ballots-1575573

This GOPer thinks only 'the informed' should vote. smh Informed by what and who? Certainly Trump supporters are the least informed voters I've ever seen, I can't imagine he is attacking the base here so I wonder who he is talking about? And what's the test here? Do you submit a political views questionnaire to qualify? Why doesn't he just say that only people willing to vote for republicans should be allowed to vote if that is what he means.

This new trend of state level republicans passing laws restricting voting is becoming a serious issue that needs to be dealt with. Between these and anti abortion legislation they are completely off the hook. I'd like to see a law passed that says if you attempt to subvert or circumvent federal law, you do hard time. Legal abortions and voting rights are the law of the land, stop trying to take them away with petty BS state level laws OR pay a stiff price. Biden will have to intercede here and stop these restrictive voting laws. It's bad enough that only those on the right of center can get a major party nomination anyway.

The real topic behind his statements is correct, I think. Voters, overall, really need to be better informed. The results of our efforts, as a voting population, is the collection of clowns that we have as Reps, Senators, etc, and that speaks for itself.

Taking that and saying 'not everyone should vote' is obviously the wrong take. The thing I doubt he's taking into account is that that sword (that he's proposing) cuts both ways, in terms of which voters would be barred from voting.

This is dumb and the guy is just looking for attention.

No court would ever uphold this legislation and it would be crushed in court.

Side note, H.R. 1 was just recently passed in the House.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1/text

Of Course not!

Communists don't support the Constitution of the United States nor do they want anyone to be able to vote.

And I am NOT a communist.

I know it sounds dumb. But if you look big picture at how many states are now restricting voting with new legislation it doesn't surprise me. More people voting didn't bode well for Republicans in 2020. As a result some red states are going off the rails to make voting more difficult.

No doubt that they will attempt to pass numerous pieces of legislation and I expect the vast majority to get stomped in court.

It's like Trump's election fraud claims that were filed in court and were tossed out rather quickly.

If anything, I think this could backfire on Republicans in these states and galvanize Democrats and others to vote blue. It's a hasty and ill-conceived plan that seems overly reactionary.

A couple recent cases...

I don't really disagree with you. I think it certainly will backfire. I feel the same way about the Covid relief bill. About half of Republican voters supported that bill. There has to be more moderate Republican districts where the majority of their voters wanted and needed that relief. There were Republican governors and Mayors who supported it.

I will give them credit. They'll stop at nothing to win an election no matter whose rights they trample.

I might be confused, but when I read this article, it seems the writer is mixing a comment with a bill.

The bill in question was...
"His remarks referenced a bill that passed in the Arizona Senate on Monday. If passed during an upcoming House session, the bill would require that permanent registered voters who have not participated in the past four elections submit an official notice expressing their desire to receive mail-in ballots during future contests. All voters who meet that criteria would receive letters from the state before forthcoming elections to gauge their interest in voting absentee. It would not send mail ballots to those who fail to respond with express confirmation."

Which is simply, that if you are registered to vote by mail, and you don't vote for 4 consecutive elections, that your auto-renewal on your mailed ballot is stopped, and you must request a mail-in ballot again.
Florida currently does this as well.

It's not stopping anyone from voting, but helps eliminate excessing mailing waste when someone isn't sending back their ballot anyway. And they send you a notice that you will be removed from the mail-in ballot list if you don't respond.

Not sure I see where this "stop the un-informed" comes into play other than "Not everybody wants to vote, and if somebody is uninterested in voting, that probably means that they're totally uninformed on the issues," he continued," which I would say is true.

Someone who is not voting, is most likely not following the issues or candidates and therefore would be "uninformed" which is not the same as saying that they are ignorant.

agreed... voters should be well informed... but I don't like the idea of restricting voters... if you are a US citizen and 18 you should be allowed to vote...

informed by who fox, cnn, Qanon, twitter? stupidity

Somebody talking some sense.

Yes indeed. Jaybird nailed it exactly.

It's pretty clear that the folks that attacked the capital on 1/6 were trump supporters. Attacking our capital sounds like something the Commies would like.

And it's very clear that Trump didn't respect the Constitution at all.. And it's equally clear that anyone that wants to suppress votes doesn't respect out constitution.

You seem to support Trump in everything he does or says. Now I wonder, what's that make you?

A troll?

OK,, But I was thinking of something else... But Troll will do just fine

I don't think people that live in Portland should be allowed to vote. They are so stupid that they want to defund the police and sit around and watch the punks burn down their city.

We don't even have informed congress representatives... See MGT and her Guam comment.

An informed electorate is not a requirement to vote. See the Voting Rights act of 1965.

Informed? Everybody is informed. Some with truth and others with lies. But the GOP doesn’t want to stop those informed with lies from buying guns, making bombs, and instigating resurrection while violently killing those who support the truth.

That's not how it works in America but if it were, then all those that supported Trump in this insurrection action should not be allowed to vote.