Senate Engrossed

 

elections manual; legislative council

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2022

 

 

 

SENATE BILL 1285

 

 

An Act

 

amending section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the secretary of state's instructions and procedures manual.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-452. Rules; instructions and procedures manual; approval of manual; field check and review of systems; violation; classification

A. After consultation with each county board of supervisors or other officer in charge of elections, the secretary of state shall prescribe rules to achieve and maintain the maximum degree of correctness, impartiality, uniformity and efficiency on the procedures for early voting and voting, and of producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots. The secretary of state shall also adopt rules regarding fax transmittal of unvoted ballots, ballot requests, voted ballots and other election materials to and from absent uniformed and overseas citizens and shall adopt rules regarding internet receipt of requests for federal postcard applications prescribed by section 16-543.

B. The rules shall be prescribed in an official instructions and procedures manual to be issued not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year immediately preceding the general election.  Before its issuance, the manual shall be approved by the governor and the attorney general and the legislative council.  The secretary of state shall submit the manual to the governor and the attorney general and the legislative council not later than October 1 of the year before each general election.

C. A person who violates any rule adopted pursuant to this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.

D. The secretary of state shall provide personnel who are experts in electronic voting systems and procedures and in electronic voting system security to field check and review electronic voting systems and recommend needed statutory and procedural changes. END_STATUTE