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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
candidate nominations; signatures; redistricting
Purpose
An emergency measure that outlines requirements for determining the number of signatures required for a nomination petition for a 2022 legislative or congressional candidate. Outlines the requirements for the filing statements of interest, nomination papers and nomination petitions from candidates for election in 2022. Prescribes procedures for the 2022 election of political party precinct committeemen (PCs).
Background
Any person wishing to become a candidate and have the person's name
printed on the ballot must file nomination papers and a nomination petition
between 120 and 150 days before the primary election with the appropriate
filing officer for that office. Except for candidates for U.S. Senator or a
representative in U.S. Congress, a candidate must be a qualified elector at the
time of filing and reside in the county, district or precinct the person
proposes to represent (A.R.S. §§
16-311 and 16-314).
The nomination petitions of a person wishing to become a candidate must be
signed by a minimum number of qualified signers depending upon the office for
which the person is seeking to become a candidate. If new boundaries for
congressional districts (CDs), legislative districts (LDs), supervisorial
districts, justice precincts or election precincts are established and
effective after January 2 of the year of a general election and before the date
for filing of nomination petitions, the basis for determining the required
number of nomination petition signatures is the number of qualified signers in
the elective office, district or precinct effective on January 2 of the year of
the general election (A.R.S.
§ 16-322).
In 2021, the Legislature required the Secretary of State (SOS) to accept statements of interest, nomination papers and petitions from candidates for election in 2022 using LDs and CDs that were: 1) used in the 2020 elections; 2) designated by the redistricting plan adopted by the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) in 2021; or 3) designated as the 2022 redistricting plan by a court (Laws 2021, Ch. 155). On January 21, 2022, the IRC certified and transmitted the final redistricting plan to the SOS (IRC).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
2022 Legislative and Congressional Candidate Signatures
1. Requires the number of signatures required for the nomination petition of a 2022 legislative candidate to be the lesser of the:
a) average of the number of qualified signers needed for all 2020 LDs for the candidate's political party, using the voter registration report for January 2, 2022, to determine the number of qualified signers for each 2020 LD; or
b) required number of signatures determined based off the number of qualified signers in the LD in the January 2, 2022, voter registration report using the 2020 numbered LD with the same numeral as the numbered LD that the candidate proposes to represent as declared in the candidate's 2022 nomination paper.
2. Requires the number of signatures required for a nomination petition for a 2022 Congressional candidate to be the lesser of the:
a) average of the number of qualified signers needed for all 2020 CDs for the candidate's political party, using the voter registration report for January 2, 2022, to determine the number of qualified signers for each 2020 CD; or
b) required number of signatures determined based off number of qualified signers in the CD in the January 2, 2022, voter registration report using the 2020 numbered CD with the same numeral as the numbered CD that the candidate proposes to represent as declared in the candidate's 2022 nomination paper.
Candidates for
Election to Office Other Than Federal,
Statewide or Legislative Offices in 2022
3. Requires, except for candidates for election for a federal, statewide or legislative office, a filing officer to accept statements of interest, nomination papers and nomination petitions as valid filings from a candidate for election in 2022 that designates a district for the person's candidacy and that uses any or all of the following:
a) the candidate's district as used in the immediately preceding election;
b) the candidate's district as designated in a redistricting plan adopted for the upcoming election; or
c) the candidate's district as designated in a redistricting plan ordered for use in an upcoming election by a court of competent jurisdiction.
4. Requires, except for candidates for election for a federal, statewide or legislative office, a filing officer to accept nomination petition signatures for a candidate for election in 2022 as valid if the petition signers are registered voters who are residents of districts:
a) used in the immediately preceding election;
b) designated in a redistricting plan adopted for an upcoming election; or
c) designated in a redistricting plan ordered for use in an upcoming election by a court of competent jurisdiction.
5. Exempts special elections to fill a vacancy in all offices from requirements relating to the acceptance of statements of interest, nomination papers and nomination petitions immediately following redistricting.
Election of PCs for 2022
6. Requires, for the 2022 election for PCs, a:
a) candidate for PC to submit a nomination paper or other similar written statement of candidacy to the applicable county political party committee by April 18, 2022;
b) county political party committee to verify a potential PC candidates' eligibility based on the April 1 voter registration totals;
c) county political party committee, by May 2, 2022, to submit to the county board of supervisors (county BOS) one PC candidate's name for each election precinct in the county for appointment; and
d) county BOS to appoint the political party PC from the names submitted by the county political party committee.
7. Requires a county political party committee, for any vacancies in the office of PC that occur during the 2022 term of office, to:
a) appoint eligible persons to fill the vacancies; and
b) maintain a current roster of PCs for the remainder of the 2022 term.
8. Asserts that no further action is required by a county BOS for vacancies in the office of PC that occur during the 2022 term of office.
9. Prohibits a candidate for election for PC in the 2022 election from being required to submit a nomination petition or file other documents with a filing officer.
10. Specifies, for the 2022 election for PCs, that the county political party committee is the sole determiner of the single political party PC candidate whose name is submitted for appointment for each election precinct in the county.
11. Deems PCs appointed for the 2022 term of office as elected PCs for all purposes.
Miscellaneous
12. Stipulates that if new boundaries for supervisorial districts, justice precincts or election precincts are adopted after January 2 of the year of a general election and before the last date for filing nomination petitions, the basis for determining the required number of nomination petition signatures is the number of qualified signers in the elective office, district or precinct on the effective date of the new district or precinct.
13. Specifies that the basis for determining the required number of nomination petition signatures is the number of qualified signers in a CD or LD effective on January 2 in the year of a general election if new boundaries for CDs or LDs are established and effective after January 2 and before the first date for filing nomination petitions, rather than the date for filing nomination petitions.
14. Makes technical and conforming changes.
15. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is enacted.
Prepared by Senate Research
March 3, 2022
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