A ballot measure that could change how Arizonans vote was the subject of debate Thursday night, with proponents saying it could lead to faster results and require IDs to vote and opponents saying it could lead to the end of mail-in voting.
In the Clean Elections debate at Sneaky Big Studios in north Scottsdale, Tempe Councilmember Randy Keating joined Greg Blackie, the deputy director of policy at the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, to debate Proposition 144, which would add language to the Arizona Constitution stating only citizens can vote and all voters would need to provide proof of identification.
Keating and others opposed to the proposition call it a “Trojan horse” that could end mail-in voting—something more than 80% of Arizona voters use, the Clean Elections Commission says.
“The system we have works astonishingly well, and the doubts around our elections have been manufactured to create chaos,” Keating said.
Blackie argued there were many ways mail-in voters could verify their identity and that there is still more to do to make elections secure and fair.
“We can always do more to make our elections more secure, and this proposition lets voters tell the Legislature what they want to do to make that happen,” he said.
Blackie argued that not seeking more protection for mail-in voting was “anti-democratic” and that the measure could lead to faster results, more options for verification and increased security.
“This isn’t a novel idea,” Blackie said.
In 2022, Proposition 309 had similar language and would have required mail-in ballots to provide dates of birth and other identification. The slim majority of voters said no, and the measure did not pass.
Keating, who is the chair of the organization No On Prop 144, used a plethora of metaphors from baseball to Shakespeare to show how the proposition could impact the future of voting. He also argued the proposition was not needed, as it is already a federal and state law that noncitizens are ineligible to vote.
“It’s much ado about nothing,” he said. “They want to be able to point to a problem that they (the Legislature) created and say, ‘We need to do something about that.’”
Blackie refused to take questions from the press. But Keating told the media liked the verification measures that were already in place.
Ballots will be mailed to voters on Oct. 7 and mail-in voters are encouraged to send back their ballots by Oct. 26. Polling places open statewide on Nov. 3 for those who wish to vote in person.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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