Our Opinion: All Az ballot counts now to be eyed by outsiders, too

A key loophole in Arizona election integrity finally has been closed, and all ballot counting now must be open to outside observers, as it well should be.

Only partisan elections had been subjected to that requirement, leaving out many other important ballot issues, such as the contentious 2006 Regional Transportation Plan election in Tucson, the subject of vote-flipping allegations.

Also excluded from impartial observers' view were other elections for bond issues, school boards, mayors and city councils in most Arizona cities (excluding Tucson and South Tucson, where partisan municipal elections continue).

The loophole in election law was eradicated Thursday, when the governor signed SB 1053 into law.

Technically, the bill was sponsored by state Sen. Chuck Gray, R-Mesa.

In reality, it also was bulldogged relentlessly by former state Sen. Ted Downing, D-Tucson, whose determined pursuit of election integrity was a hallmark of his service in the Legislature.

"Ted Downing really did it this time," exulted John R. Brakey, a Tucson activist for election integrity. "And Karen Johnson - bless her heart."

Johnson, also a Mesa Republican, was one of the bill's original sponsors.

She is one of the most conservative legislators in Arizona; Downing was among the most liberal.

We greatly respect the many lawmakers who - like Gray, Downing and Johnson - set aside deep partisan and philosophical differences to ensure that results of all elections in Arizona will be validated.

The new law isn't perfect, however, as Gov. Janet Napolitano noted in her signing statement.

SB 1053 says sites can't be opened for early voting until early mail-in ballots are sent out, creating a potential to shorten the period of on-site early voting.

That is a genuine cause for concern.

So Napolitano called on county recorders to compare their on-site and vote-by-mail participation in 2004 and 2006 with the period for the impending primary and general elections.

If the opportunity to vote early or by mail is diminished, she wants the Arizona Association of Counties and County Recorders to work with her office to craft an appropriate amendment to the law.

But Napolitano also noted SB 1053's improvements to Arizona's elections process outweigh that detail, and she signed the bill.

We're glad she did. Passage of this important bill was a slow endeavor, and no more delays were needed.

Arizona's elections process must have full credibility. The more transparency we can imbue in ballot-counting, the better.