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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
Arizona
national rankings; ranked states
(NOW: relating to counties; tabulating; early ballots)
Purpose
Requires, if practicable, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections (other officer) to post the number of early ballots returned at voting locations on election day on its website and enter the ballots into an early ballot tracking system, if established.
Background
On receipt of an envelope containing an early ballot and ballot affidavit, a county recorder or other officer must verify the signature and attempt to cure the ballot if applicable. After signature verification, the county recorder or other officer must safely keep the ballots until delivered to an early election board for tallying. All early election ballots received before 7:00 p.m. on election day must be delivered to an early election board. An early election board may not release or divulge partial or complete tallies before the earlier of: 1) all precincts having reported; or 2) one hour before the polls close on election day (A.R.S. §§ 16-550 and 16-551). Maricopa and Pima counties provide an early ballot tracking system on their websites where voters from those counties may check the date the ballot was mailed, the date the ballot was returned and received by the county recorder and whether the ballot was accepted and signature verified (SOS).
Unofficial returns may be released at any time following the closing of polls during ballot counting by vote tabulating equipment. Upon count completion, unofficial results must be open to the public. The result printed by tabulating equipment, to which write-in and early votes have been added, constitute the official canvass of each precinct or election district, when certified by the county BOS or other officer (A.R.S. § 16-622).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires, if practicable, a county recorder or other officer to:
a) count the number of early ballots returned at voting locations on election day; and
b) post on its website the totals with the last unofficial results that are released on election night.
2. Requires a county recorder or other officer to enter into an early ballot tracking system, if established, the early ballots returned at the voting location on election day.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
· Adopted the strike-everything amendment.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Delays, from the first release of the unofficial results to the last release of unofficial results on election day, the posting of the total number of early ballots returned on election day at voting locations.
2. Makes technical changes.
Senate Action
ED 2/15/22 DPA/SE 6-2-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 7, 2022
LB/slp