 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
schools; cities; all mail prohibited
Purpose
Effective January 1, 2023, prohibits a city, town or school district from conducting a mail ballot election.
Background
A mail ballot
election is an election in which every qualified voter in a jurisdiction is
mailed a ballot, regardless if the voter requests a one-time ballot-by-mail or
is on the Active Early Voter List (EPM
Ch. 3). A city, town, school district or special taxing district may
conduct a mail ballot election. The county recorder or other officer in charge
of elections must mail all official ballots 27 to 15 days before the election (A.R.S.
§ 16-558.01). A city, town or school district that conducts a mail ballot
election must report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives by January 1 of the year following the election on: 1)
any changes in voter turnout; 2) costs of the mail ballot election; 3)
suggestions of improvements for mail ballot elections;
4) frequency and severity of irregularities in the mail ballot process; 5)
voter satisfaction with the election process; and 6) the number of
nondeliverable ballots (A.R.S.
§ 16-409).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a city, town or school district from conducting a mail ballot election.
2. Removes mail ballot election reporting requirements for a city, town or school district.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Becomes effective on January 1, 2023.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 19, 2022
MH/MF/slp