The Arizona Advocacy Network is a left-of-center organization that opposes election integrity laws through lobbying and placing policy questions on ballots. The Arizona Advocacy Network is also active in pushing for wide-ranging restrictions on campaign related speech activity, placing restrictions that prevent not only businesses and unions, but also individuals from engaging in election-related speech. ¹

Funding

In 2014 the Arizona Advocacy Network received $769,827 in grants,² in 2015 they received $863,151 in grants³, in 2016 they received $119,256 in grants,⁴ and in 2017 they received $176,278 in grants. ⁵

Institutions required to provide information regarding their grant making reveal that the Arizona Advocacy Network’s donors include Proteus Action League (PAL). The Proteus Action League provided $115,000 in grants between 2014-2017. ⁶

Advocacy and Ballot Measure Activity

Restrictions on Campaign Speech

Ballot Measure C-04-2020 is slated to be on the ballot in Arizona on November 3, 2020;⁷ if passed, the ballot measure would compel any effort to engage in campaign related speech activity to be reported to the state if the amount of contribution amounts to or exceeds $5,000. ⁸ Ballot Measure C-04-2020 was advocated for and supported by the Arizona Advocacy Network and Outlaw Dirty Money, a left-of-center organization devoted to limiting speech related activity. ⁹

Anti-Voting Integrity Measures

The Arizona Advocacy Network is active in opposing Arizona laws that ensure elections are fair, reliable, and free from voter fraud. ¹⁰ The Arizona Advocacy Network has actively pushed for Ballot Measure I-19-2020,¹¹ which is slated to be on the ballot in Arizona on November 3, 2020;¹² if passed, the measure will enact same-day automatic voter registration when receiving a driver’s license or non-operating identification license. This ballot measure has been advocated for despite longstanding criticism regarding DMV voter registration over compliance concerns, incorrect registrations, and even failure to properly verify United States citizenship. ¹³

The organization helped organize a media effort to undermine State Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita’s (R-Scottsdale) House Bill 2023, which would have heightened regulations regarding who could engage in voter registration in order to prevent election fraud. The effort included employing U.S. Representative and former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton (D-AZ) to protest the legislation at the Arizona State Capitol. ¹⁴

Leadership

Joel Edman is the executive director of the Arizona Action Network. Edman is a former legal fellow with the ACLU¹⁵ and is a public advocate for increased government intervention in campaign finance and regulation of political speech activities. ¹⁶

1. “About” Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation. https://www.azadvocacy.org/about
2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 3, Part I, Line 8 (Prior Year-Column).
3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 3, Part I, Line 8 (Current Year-Column).
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 3, Part I, Line 8 (Current Year-Column).
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed March 3, Part I, Line 8 (Current Year-Column).
6. “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” (Form 990) (multiple). Proteus Action League. 2010-2017. Schedule I.
7. “Arizona Right to Know Source of Campaign Contributions Initiative” Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Right_to_Know_Source_of_Campaign_Contributions_Initiative_(2020)
8. “Arizona Right to Know Source of Campaign Contributions Initiative” Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Right_to_Know_Source_of_Campaign_Contributions_Initiative_(2020)
9. Hsieh, Steven. Ballot Initiative Would Limit Big Campaign Donors, Transform Elections in Arizona. Phoenix New Times. October 31, 2019. Accessed March 27, 2020. https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/ballot-initiative-would-make-it-easier-to-vote-in-arizona-11379200
10. “About” Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation. https://www.azadvocacy.org/about
11. Initiative Calls for Extensive Voting Reforms in Arizona, US News. October 30, 2019. Accessed March 27, 2020. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arizona/articles/2019-10-30/initiative-calls-for-extensive-voting-reforms-in-arizona
12. “Arizona Automatic Voter Registration Initiative” Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Automatic_Voter_Registration_Initiative_(2020)
13. Anderson, Bryan. California isn’t doing enough to verify citizenship while registering voters, lawsuit says. The Sacramento Bee. October 01, 2019. Accessed March 27, 2020. https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article235686972.html
14. “Civic Engagement Organizations to Demand Real Solutions to Update and Secure Voter Registration – Press Release” Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation.  https://www.azadvocacy.org/for_immediate_release
15. “Staff” Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation.  https://www.azadvocacy.org/staff
16. Greenblat, Alan. The New Fight Over ‘Dark Money’ Campaign Donations. Governing. April 05, 2018. Accessed March 27, 2020. https://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-campaign-finance-arizona-tempe-denver.html