Republicans Abruptly Halt Debate On Arizona Election Bill

An Arizona election bill to purge inconsistent voters from the popular permanent early voting list is in limbo.

The state House took the highly unusual step Thursday of cutting off debate. The bill would remove people who don’t return their mail ballot for two consecutive election cycles from the permanent list, which allows voters to automatically receive a ballot before each election. About 75% of Arizona voters are on the list. Democrats say the measure would disenfranchise voters, with an especially strong impact on people of color. Republicans say it would affect only people who’ve shown they’re not interested in voting by mail.