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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
polling places; emergency voting centers
Purpose
Restricts the use of emergency voting centers to only on the occurrence of a genuine emergency, such as war, civil unrest or natural disaster that makes it likely that large numbers of voters will be substantially impaired in the ability to vote on election day.
Background
A county board
of supervisors (county BOS) may pass a resolution authorizing the county
recorder or other officer in charge of elections to establish emergency voting
centers. The resolution must specify the location and hours of operation of
emergency voting centers (A.R.S.
§ 16-411). As a result of an emergency between 5:00 p.m. on the Friday
preceding an election and 5:00 p.m. on the Monday preceding an election, an
elector may request to vote at an emergency voting center established by the
county BOS. Before voting, an elector who experiences an emergency must provide
identification and sign a statement under penalty of perjury that states the
person is experiencing or experienced an emergency after 5:00 p.m. on the
Friday preceding an election and 5:00 p.m. on the Monday preceding the election
that would prevent the person from voting at the polls. An emergency is
any unforeseen circumstances that would prevent the elector from voting at the
polls (A.R.S.
§ 16-542).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a county BOS to authorize the use of emergency voting centers only on the occurrence of a genuine emergency, such as war, civil unrest or natural disaster that makes it likely that large numbers of voters will be substantially impaired in the ability to vote on election day as compared to other elections.
2. Removes the authorization for a qualified elector to update the elector's voter registration information at an emergency voting center.
3. Removes the authorization for a county BOS to approve alternative locations for an emergency voting center that becomes unavailable after its establishment.
4. Renames polling places in which emergency conditions prevent electioneering as non-electioneering sites.
5. Applies to, when a facility refuses to allow electioneering after the county recorder posts the original list of non-electioneering sites, requirements for updating the list of polling places that do not allow for electioneering.
6. Makes technical and conforming changes.
7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
GE 2/9/22 DP 7-6-0-0
3rd Read 2/22/22 31-28-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2022
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