Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed an election bill supported by a majority of Arizona House Democrats, and a GOP lawmaker from Scottsdale doesn’t understand why.

The Democratic governor rejected HB 2322 on voting signature verification standards that had the support of 16 of the 29 House Democrats. The proposed legislation included a change sought by Rep. Laura Terech, D-Phoenix.

And it would have spelled out in statute that procedures for verifying signatures on early ballot envelopes - procedures prepared by Hobbs as secretary of state - constitute "the minimum requirements for comparison of signatures.'' Any that could not be verified would have to be rejected.

Hobbs was not impressed.

"The standards in this bill are already several years old,'' she said.

Hobbs said they are better addressed in a separate Election Procedures Manual, which does not require legislative action to amend, or through ongoing guidance developed by the secretary of state - now Adrian Fontes - in consultation with county election officials.

The move drew derision from Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, sponsor of the bill.

"Right now, Arizona has no laws setting ANY signature verification rules for early ballots which help ensure only lawful early voters vote,'' he said in a Twitter post.

Kolodin also said Hobbs promised in her State of the State speech to "find common ground'' and work across party lines.

"What ground could be more common making her own rules the law?'' he asked.