Overview

• Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed AB499, the late-session bipartisan bill that would have mandated voter ID and expanded ballot drop box access.
• He insisted he supported voter ID but objected to its signature-only verification for mail ballots and the absence of additional drop box safeguards.
• The veto means the measure must win a second approval through a 2026 constitutional referendum after passing last year’s ballot initiative.
• Voting rights groups warned the bill would create barriers for low-income, minority, older, and disabled voters.
• He also rejected a separate bill that would have let nonpartisan voters choose in Republican or Democratic primaries.