Arizona's early or mail-in voting process is constitutional according to the state's Court of Appeals, which ruled against the Arizona Republican Party and its chair, Kelli Ward, the Arizona Republic reports.
The Arizona GOP argued that mail-in voting violates the state Constitution's secrecy clause, which states that voters must be able to conceal their choices on a ballot. However, the court found that the early voting system fulfills that duty "by requiring voters to ensure that they fill out their ballot in secret and seal the ballot in an envelope that does not disclose the voters' choices," Judge Cynthia Bailey wrote in the court's decision.
She added, "At no point can the voter's identifying information on their ballot envelope be lawfully connected with their vote. These protections are adequate to ensure the preservation of secrecy in voting."
Bailey wrote, "The Secrecy Clause's meaning is clear: When providing for voting by ballot or any other method, the legislature must uphold voters' ability to conceal their choices. The constitution does not mandate any particular method for preserving secrecy in voting.''