WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Arizona’s election security laws banning out-of-precinct voting and ballot harvesting represented an appropriate constitutional exercise of the state to administer and secure its own elections.  
   
Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James released the following statement praising the court’s decision:  

 
“Voting is a sacred right central to the proper functioning of our republic, and our leaders should be focused on ensuring that right is protected for all citizens.  

“The Heritage Foundation applauds the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the efforts of the Arizona legislature to protect the security and integrity of its electoral process. Arizona’s ban on vote traffickers prevents candidates, campaign staffers, party activists, and political consultants from pressuring, coercing, and intimidating voters when they use absentee ballots. This safeguards all voters, but particularly vulnerable citizens.  

“By upholding Arizona’s requirement that citizens vote in their assigned precincts—a requirement similar to that of almost every other state—the court is ensuring that elections will run more smoothly and securely, reducing the likelihood of fraud and legal votes being canceled out by illegal ones.”  

 
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