REFERENCE TITLE: secure ballot containers; pilot program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

2023

HB 2701

Introduced by

Representative Nguyen

An Act

providing for a secure ballot deposit container pilot program; appropriating monies.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Secure ballot deposit container pilot program

Notwithstanding any other law, a county with a population of more than two hundred thirty thousand persons and less than four hundred thousand persons may establish and implement a pilot program for the use of secure ballot deposit containers to receive voted early ballots.  Each secure ballot deposit container shall unlock for purposes of depositing ballots by use of a card or other similar means that is issued to the voter by the county recorder for that purpose and shall provide for secure retention of the voted ballots until accessed by a person who is authorized by the county recorder to collect the ballots for verification and tabulation as otherwise provided by law. 

Sec. 2. Appropriation; secretary of state; exemption

A. The sum of $1,500,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2023-2024 to the secretary of state for disbursement to a county recorder for the purposes of this act.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.