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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
early ballot envelope; notice
Purpose
Requires an early ballot envelope to include a prescribed statement relating to the return of an early ballot by the Friday before the election.
Background
A county board
of supervisors prepares early ballots, including ballots-by-mail, to be used in
federal, statewide, legislative and countywide elections (A.R.S. §§ 16-405
and 16-503).
The county recorder or other officer in charge of elections may begin
distributing the early ballots 27 days before the election (A.R.S.
§ 16-542). The county recorder must receive and process early ballot
requests and provide early ballots and printed instructions to early voters
directing the voters to sign the affidavit, mark the ballot and return both in
the enclosed envelope (A.R.S.
§ 16-544). An early ballot must be accompanied with a self-addressed return
envelope that includes a printed affidavit which declares, under penalty of
perjury, that the voter: 1) is a registered voter in a county in Arizona; 2)
has not voted and will not vote in the same election in any other county or
state; 3) understands knowingly voting more than once in any election is a
class 5 felony; and 4) voted the enclosed ballot and signed the affidavit
personally unless noted that the voter was assisted by another person in
marking the ballot. For the ballot to be counted, the ballot and affidavit must
be delivered to the office of the county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections or deposited at any polling place in the county by 7:00 p.m. on
election day (A.R.S.
§ 16-547).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the envelope accompanying an early ballot to state:
Failure to mail an early ballot or deposit an early ballot in a ballot drop box
by the Friday before the election will result in delayed election results.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 25, 2023
AN/CS/slp