On April 19, Arizona SB 1024 was amended in the House. SB 1024 is the bill to delete the names of candidates for presidential elector from the November ballot, and to add the names of vice-presidential candidates. Currently, Arizona is one of six states that still lists candidates for presidential elector on the ballot. The bill has already passed the Senate.
The amendment was added by Representative Judy Burges (R-Skull Valley). It says that when political parties certify the names of their presidential nominees for the November ballot, the parties must include (within an additional ten days) an affidavit from the presidential candidate, stating that he or she is qualified to hold the office. The candidate must also attach documents showing evidence. The amendment says the Secretary of State will review the documents and exclude the candidate from the November ballot if the Secretary of State does not believe the evidence is sufficient. The vote on this amendment was 31-22, with Democrats generally voting against the amendment and Republicans voting in favor. Assuming the bill next passes the House, it must then return to the Senate to see if the Senate concurs.
The amendment is discriminatory because an independent presidential candidate need not provide such documents, nor must the presidential candidate of a new party, nor a write-in presidential candidate. Also it is not easy to imagine which documents would be required, because proving that one has been a resident of the United States for the past 14 years (the least-known constitutional requirement for presidents) is not necessarily easy. General Dwight Eisenhower was not exactly a resident of the United States during the years 1942-1945, even though under this bill, he would need to have “proven” that he was a “resident” for all years 1938-1952.
