Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will end the state's mail-in voting system through executive action, Arizona officials are preparing for a judicial battle with the Trump administration over the method of voting.
The conflict began when President Donald Trump promised to ban mail-in ballots nationwide against Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and other state leaders who vow to protect a voting method that has been used in the state for more than 30 years.
Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes are leading the initiative to protect Arizona's mail-in voting system, which has been in place since the 1990s when a Republican-led legislature approved it.
"Voting by mail is a trusted Arizona tradition, created by Republicans and used by most Arizonans," Hobbs said in a statement. "As governor, I'll always protect it so that every eligible Arizonan can have their voice heard."
Kris Mayes agreed, arguing that "Arizonans have safely and securely voted by mail for decades." She dismissed current challenges to the system as based on "lies and conspiracies" and insisted that Trump has "zero authority to interfere in Arizona's elections."
The confrontation comes after President Donald Trump announced plans Monday to launch what he called a "movement" to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines nationwide that he believes led to voter fraud.
"I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we're at it, Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES,"
Trump wrote, advocating instead for "accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper."
Trump said he would begin the effort with an executive order targeting the 2026 midterm elections.
"We're going to start with an executive order that's being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they're corrupt," he stated.
Any such executive order would likely face immediate legal challenges, as states traditionally control their election procedures.
Representative Andy Biggs called for a return to in-person voting and expressed strong support for Trump's idea.
"Let's get back to voting in person," Andy Biggs said in a statement. "American elections are too important to risk mail-in ballot fraud. Thank you, Mr. President!"
Research consistently shows that fraud in mail-ballot voting is exceptionally rare. Arizona has implemented multiple security measures over its decades of experience with mail-in voting, including signature verification by trained officials, barcode tracking of envelopes, and various layers of security protocols.
The system has withstood numerous legal challenges and audits since its implementation in the 1990s, drawing attention to the ongoing dispute between state and federal control over election management.
Constitutional scholars point out that states have always held authority over handling elections, despite Trump's suggestions of changing voting practices setting up what could be a protracted legal battle.
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