Democracy Pledge Best Practices
I Pledge
No matter our color, background, or zip code, all Arizonans value our freedom to vote. We deserve practices that protect our access to the ballot and leaders who will protect our democracy.
Sign the Democracy Pledge to support policies that ensure all Arizonans can cast a ballot that counts. I support the right to:
Register to vote any time prior to the deadline without facing barriers
- All eligible Arizonans should be able to register to vote, online or with a paper form, without facing intimidation or barriers
- Voter’s ability to register to vote should not be based on socioeconomic status, language, disability, or where the eligible voter lives, and all eligible Arizonans must have easy and readily available access to register to vote -- both online and with a paper form
Access the ballot, in-person and by mail, no matter where you live, what language you speak, or what physical abilities you have
- Arizonans – those from each community and tribe, of every race and ethnicity, who speak or communicate with any language, with or without disabilities, and whose rights have been restored – must have meaningful access to vote in every election.
- Changes to election policies and practices must be assessed for disparate racial impact and any such impacts need to be eliminated or reduced to the maximum extent allowed by law.
- People who are eligible to vote and are incarcerated must have meaningful opportunities to register to vote and to both receive and cast their ballot.
- People who were previously incarcerated and had their right to vote taken from them must have their rights restored in a timely and efficient manner once eligible.
- People in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and homebound voters must have access to a special election board to cast their ballot.
- People with disabilities must have equal, fair, and accessible voter registration opportunities as well as appropriate voting tools such as functional voting devices, large print and braille ballots, and accessible in-person voting sites to accommodate all voters and facilitate independent casting of ballots as guaranteed by the Help America Vote Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- People living on Tribal land must have equal access to in-person voter registration events, in-person early voting locations, election day polling locations, drop boxes, and other methods of voting especially in order to overcome disparities in access to mail, internet, and transportation that exist in Tribal communities.
- People with limited English proficiency or English as a second language must have the right to register and cast a ballot with the assistance of a translator and the necessary written materials in their preferred language.
The freedom to vote without intimidation
- Arizonans must be permitted to vote without undue influence and without threats or intimidation from other people, including the police or other government actors.
Privacy of individual election information and easy access to public information
- Public officials must protect voter information from improper release to third parties and prevent voter’s confidential information from being wrongly disclosed
- The public must be provided the opportunity to give input on proposed election plans, prior notice about the closure or movement of polling locations in their community, and the ability to access non-confidential election information and data on elections that communities can use to give meaningful input.
- Voters must be provided fair and equitable access to their own election information such as their current voter registration status and their voting precinct, as well as the ability to and track their ballot regardless of their level of access to the internet, the language they speak, the nature of their address, or their county of residence.
Respect for tribal communities' right to Tribal Sovereignty and consultation with Tribes about elections
- Arizona Election Officials must create permanent processes for meaningful consultation with Tribal governments.
- Consultation must include joint development of election plans to ensure equal access to voter registration and voting opportunities in a manner that recognizes and affirms Tribal sovereignty and protects the voting rights of tribal communities.
Nonpartisan counting of ballots and respect for and protection of results
- The purpose of our elections is to ensure that people’s voices are heard and that their views are represented in our government.
- Arizonans have a right to the nonpartisan and efficient processing of ballots and the certification of election results that is not interfered with by partisan actors.
- Government officials, party leaders, and candidates for office must not spread false, fabricated, doxxed, or stolen data and must not misinform or spread propaganda about elections
- The legal system is the appropriate means of raising any concerns about the conduct of the election.
- The outcome of the legal system is the final and definitive determination of the election results.
- Candidates, both winners and losers of their races, must respect the outcome of the final election results.
- Elected officials must uphold the truth and be responsive to the needs of their constituents as reflected in the final election results, no matter their party affiliation.