ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SB 1466: voting centers; board of supervisors

PRIME SPONSOR: Senator Gray, LD 21

BILL STATUS: Government

Abstract

Relating to voting centers and early voting.

Provisions

Additional Voting Locations (Sec. 2)

1. Permits the BOS, by resolution, to authorize the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to use additional types of voting and to determine additional voting locations, including early voting drop off centers.

o Currently, the BOS may only authorize the use of voting centers (A.R.S. § 16-411).

2. Specifies that an early voting drop-off center is a facility in which any voter in that county may deliver an early ballot to a lawful custodian.

3. Permits a voting center to be used as an early voting or ballot replacement location.

4. Specifies a voting center is deemed to be a polling place on election day and applies certain requirements for polling places, including prohibited acts and voting procedures, to voting centers.

Voting Center Election Boards (Sec. 4)

5. Requires the BOS to appoint a Board for each voting center consisting of at least one inspector, one marshal and as many judges or clerks as deemed necessary.

6. Permits Board workers to be hired to work shifts as long as there are always sufficient workers present to assist voters.

7. Requires Board workers to be qualified voters of the county and different political parties to be represented within each Board.

8. Requires an equal number of inspectors in the various voting centers in the county to be members of two largest political parties.

9. Permits the BOS to appoint a person to the Board to serve as a clerk of elections if the person is not eligible to vote and the person:

a. Is a minor who will be at least 16 years old and US citizen at the time of the election for which the person is named to the Board;

b. Is supervised by an adult who has been trained as a Board worker;

c. Has received training provided by the officer in charge of elections; and

d. Has provided written permission to serve from their parent or guardian.

10. Prohibits a school district or charter school from:

a. Being required to reduce ADM for any pupil absent because of service on the Board; and

b. Counting any pupil's absence against any mandatory attendance requirements because of service on the Board.

11. Specifies that the BOS or officer in charge of elections is not prevented from refusing to reappoint or removing a Board member for cause.

Early Voting Locations (Sec. 5)

12. Permits the BOS, by resolution, to authorize the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to establish any other early voting locations in the county deemed necessary.

o Currently, the county recorder may establish early voting locations without authorization of the BOS (A.R.S. § 16-542).

13. Allows a County Recorder or other officer in charge of elections to make changes to approved early voting locations and requires the public and the BOS to be notified of the changes as soon as practicable.

14. Allows a County Recorder or other officer in charge of elections to continue to operate early voting locations during the three-day period preceding election day, if the precinct registers and other elections materials are able to be revised in a timely manner for use on election day.

Miscellaneous

15. Requires the County Recorder or other officer in charge of elections to determine one or more locations, rather than a central location, to obtain a ballot replacement in the appropriate jurisdiction. (Sec. 6)

16. Permits an elector to obtain a replacement ballot on presentation of a signed, sworn statement that the ballot was not cast, rather than lost, spoiled, destroyed or not received. (Sec. 6)

17. Requires the voter, rather than the election official, to place the ballot in a provisional ballot envelope and deposit the envelope in the ballot box. (Sec. 7)

18. Repeals statute relating to lever voting equipment. (Sec. 3)

19. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1, 2, 5-7)

Current Law

The BOS is permitted to authorize the use of voting centers in place of or in addition to specifically designated polling places. A voting center must allow any voter in that county to receive the appropriate ballot on election day and lawfully cast the ballot. Voting centers may be established in coordination and consultation with the County Recorder, at other county offices or at other locations in the county deemed appropriate (A.R.S. § 16-411).

In order to be complete and correct and to receive an early ballot, an elector's request is required to include all statutorily required information and must be received by the County Recorder or other officer in charge of elections no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 11^th day preceding the election. An elector who appears personally no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election at an established on-site early voting location is required to be given a ballot and permitted to vote at the location (A.R.S. § 16-542).

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Fifty-third Legislature                  SB 1466

Second Regular Session                               Version 1: Government

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