ARIZONA STATE SENATE

MIKE HANS

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 26, 2021

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2387, relating to voting; hand counts

Purpose

            Allows a hand count audit to be conducted using persons who are registered with no political party designation or who are employees of the county recorder or officer in charge of elections if an insufficient number of persons are provided by the political parties or available to conduct the hand count.

Background

The county officer in charge of elections must conduct a hand count audit for each countywide primary, special, general and presidential preference election. The hand count must be conducted pursuant to statute and in accordance with procedures established by the Secretary of State in the Elections Procedures Manual. The hand count must be conducted on at least the greater of two percent of the precincts in the county or two precincts, which are selected by lot by the county political party chairs of each political party that is entitled to continued representation on the ballot.

            The county chair of each political party must designate and provide the number of election board members designated by the county officer in charge of elections who perform the hand count under the supervision of the county officer in charge of elections. The county chair must designate at least two election board workers for each precinct that is to be audited and provide the persons' names to the county recorder or officer in charge of elections by 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election. If the total number of election board workers provided by all parties is less than four times the number of precincts to be audited, the county recorder must notify the parties of the shortage by 9:00 a.m. on the Wednesday before the election. The hand count audit may not proceed unless: 1) the political parties provide the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections with a sufficient number of persons by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the election; and 2) a sufficient number of persons arrive to perform the hand count. The hand count may not be conducted if more than 75 percent of the persons performing the hand count are from the same political party (A.R.S. § 16-602).

            There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Allows, if an insufficient number of persons are provided by political parties or an insufficient number of persons arrive to perform a hand count audit, a hand count audit to be conducted with a sufficient number of persons that are available and arrive to perform the hand count who are registered with no political party designation or who are employees of the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections.

2. Makes a technical change.

3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.