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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
municipal election officers; certification training
Purpose
Allows a city or town to train its own election employees if the city or town election officer training program is approved by the Secretary of State (SOS).
Background
A person may not perform the duties or exercise the authority of an election officer, a clerk of the county board of supervisors or a county recorder in performance of election duties in or on behalf of any county unless the person holds an election officer's certificate issued by the SOS. Election officer certification requirements do not apply to: 1) elected officials; 2) clerical and secretarial personnel; 3) counting center personnel; 4) precinct election board members; and 5) election officials in cities or towns. The SOS must provide for the examination of applicants for election officer certificates and for election officer certification programs, of which successful completion by a person attests to the attendance at, participation in and completion of a course of instruction in the technical, legal and administrative aspects of conducting elections in Arizona.
If a city or town chooses to enroll a city or town employee who works on elections in the certification program, the city or town must reimburse the SOS for the costs of conducting the training. The Election Training Fund consists of monies received from a city or town who chooses to enroll employees in the certification program and is administered by the SOS, who must use the monies in the fund to pay the costs of training officials from cities and towns (A.R.S. § 16-407).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a city or town to train its own election employees if the city or town election officer training program is approved by the SOS.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
GE 1/27/21 DP 13-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/24/21 58-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 4, 2021
MH/ML/gs