AZ State legislature’s US Constitutional Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 authority

Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2 authority
All below was researched by Josh Barnett.
“ Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors ”
McPherson v Blacker (1892)
In 1892, SCOTUS in McPherson v Blacker – confirmed absolute power of legislatures to appoint electors directly despite custom of popular vote spreading to all states. SCOTUS said the power was never questioned:
” Even in the heated controversy of 1876-77 the electoral vote of Colorado cast by electors chosen by the legislature passed unchallenged, ”
“ In 1824, the electors were chosen by popular vote, by districts, and by general ticket, in all the states excepting Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, South Carolina, and Vermont, where they were still chosen by the legislature. After 1832, electors were chosen by general ticket in all the states excepting South Carolina, where the legislature chose them up to and including 1860 “
” The question before us is not one of policy but of power…”
“ while public opinion had gradually brought all the states as matter of fact to the pursuit of a uniform system of popular election by general ticket, that fact does not tend to weaken the force of contemporaneous and long continued previous practice when and as different views of expediency prevailed “
“ The prescription of the written law cannot be overthrown because the states have laterally exercised in a particular way a power which they might have exercised in some other way. The construction to which we have referred has prevailed too long and been too uniform to justify us in interpreting the language of the Constitution as conveying any other meaning than that heretofore ascribed, and it must be treated as decisive “
“ Massachusetts passed a resolution providing that the electors of that state should be appointed by the joint ballot of the Senate and House. Mass. Resolves, June, 1800, p. 13 “
“ Pennsylvania appointed by the legislature, and, upon a contest between the Senate and House, the latter was forced to yield to the Senate in agreeing to an arrangement which resulted in dividing the vote of the electors. 26 Niles’ Reg. 17 ”
“ The appointment of electors by the legislature instead of by popular vote was made use of by North Carolina, Vermont, and New Jersey in 1812 ”
“ In 1824, the electors were chosen by popular vote, by districts, and by general ticket, in all states excepting Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, South Carolina, and Vermont, where they were still chosen by the legislature ”
Article II Sec I US Constitution: each SUCCESSIVE state legislature has EXCLUSIVE power to appoint POTUS Electors
A new State legislature is independent of the previous legislature.
Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000)