Three-quarters of Arizona voters support mail-in ballots, poll says

Due to new identification requirements, applications for mail-in ballots are being rejected by...
Due to new identification requirements, applications for mail-in ballots are being rejected by election offices in some of the state’s largest counties.(Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)
Published: Mar. 22, 2022 at 12:02 PM MST
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PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- As battles rage over election laws here and throughout the country, including the issue of voting by mail, a new survey shows almost three-quarters of Arizona’s voters support mail-in ballots. The latest Arizona Public Opinion Pulse survey by OH Predictive Insights talked to 753 Arizona registered voters two weeks ago.

  • Support option to vote by mail: 74%
  • Oppose option to vote by mail: 10%
  • Margin of error: +/- 3.6%

“With the vast majority of Arizonans supporting mail-in voting, it is flabbergasting to me that any candidate would run opposition on something so incredibly popular with voters,” said Mike Noble of OHPI.

Breaking down those who do and do not support mail-in voting in Arizona
Breaking down those who do and do not support mail-in voting in Arizona(OH Predictive Insights)

Originally designed for military personnel and others living abroad, voting by mail is not new, but it has grown in popularity over the years as an easy and convenient way for voters to cast their ballots. Mail-in voting became a contentious issue after the 2020 presidential election. According to OHPI, it was the first time that 75% of Americans had the option to vote by mail. Former President Donald Trump and many Republicans made allegations of widespread voter fraud, blaming mail-in ballots for some of it, but no proof of widespread fraud was established. Trump said months before the election that mail-in ballots would lead to election fraud even though he, himself, voted by mail in the primary elections. A controversial audit of the election in Maricopa County commissioned by the state’s Senate Republicans upheld the certified results. The auditors highlighted what they believed to be issues with mail-in ballots, all of which were addressed and refuted by Arizona election officials.

The 2020 election and its aftermath have put mail-in voting in the spotlight, with some calling for overhauls to protect against fraud.

The OHPI survey said some voters were wary of including personal identifying information with their ballots. When asked about requiring more verification of mail-in ballots, 64% of voters told OHPI they supported it while 14% opposed it.

The question of mail-in voting ID verification

According to OHPI, 64% of voters say they support mail-in voter ID verification, while 14%...
According to OHPI, 64% of voters say they support mail-in voter ID verification, while 14% oppose it.(OH Predictive Insights)

Arizona has offered mail-in ballots for years. Election officials here have repeatedly assured voters that the process is secure.

OHPI specializes in nonpartisan market research and public opinion polling and does bi-monthly surveys “that gauge perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and plans of Arizonans on a number of relevant and pressing topics for corporate and political insights.”