HANNAH WILLES

ASSISTANT RESEARCH ANALYST

ZACK DEAN

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

DATE:            March 22, 2022

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to H.B. 2540, relating to legislative district committees; political parties

Purpose

            Specifies that a political party entitled to representation on the ballot, notwithstanding any provision in a political party's bylaws, may establish a district party committee for any legislative district in a county with a population of more than 400,000 persons.

Background

A political party that is entitled to representation on the ballot may establish a district party committee for any legislative district as prescribed by law. A district party committee must consist of the precinct committeemen elected and residing in the district. If the boundaries of any district are changed because of legal action, each district party committee in that district must meet and organize according to the boundaries that result from the legal action. On organization, all prior district organizations are dissolved (A.R.S. § 16-823).

A political party is entitled to representation on the ballot by filing a petition with the Secretary of State signed by a number of qualified electors equal to at least one and one-third percent of the total votes cast for Governor at the last general election electing a Governor. From this number, at least five different counties must be included as the county of registration among the required total of qualified electors and at least 10 percent of the required total of qualified electors must be registered in counties with populations of fewer than 500,000 persons (A.R.S.
§ 16-801).

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

Provisions

1. Specifies that a political party entitled to representation on the ballot, notwithstanding any provision in a political party's bylaws, may establish a district party committee for any legislative district in a county with a population of more than 400,000 persons.

2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.