Assigned to ELEC                                                                                                                             AS VETOED

 


 

 

 

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session

 

VETOED

 

FACT SHEET FOR h.b. 2415

 

active early voting lists; removal

Purpose

Decreases, from two consecutive election cycles to one election cycle, the number of election cycles in which a person may fail to vote an early ballot and remain on the active early voting list (AEVL).

Background

A voter may request to be included on a list of voters who receive an early ballot by mail for any election in which the voter registration roll is used to prepare the election register. A county recorder must maintain the AEVL as part of the voter registration roll. To be included on the AEVL, a voter must make a written request to have the voter's name added to the AEVL for all elections in which the applicant is eligible to vote. The application must include the voter's:
1) name; 2) residence address; 3) mailing address; 4) date of birth; 5) signature; and 6) an attestation that the voter is a registered voter who is eligible to vote in the county of residence. On receipt of a request to be included on the AEVL, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must compare the signature on the request with the signature on the voter's registration file and mark the voter's registration file as an active early ballot request. By the first day of early voting, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must mail an early ballot to all eligible voters on the AEVL. After a voter has requested to be included on the AEVL, the voter must be sent an early ballot by mail automatically until: 1) the voter requests, in writing, to be removed from the AEVL; 2) the voter's registration or eligibility for registration is moved to inactive status or canceled; 3) notice sent by the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections is returned undeliverable and the voter's continued desire to remain on the list is undetermined; or 4) the voter fails to vote an early ballot in all elections for two consecutive election cycles (A.R.S. § 16-544).

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

Provisions

1.   Decreases, from two consecutive election cycles to one election cycle, the number of election cycles in which a person may fail to vote an early ballot and remain on the AEVL. 

2.   Makes conforming changes.

3.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Governor's Veto Message

The Governor indicates in her veto message that the AEVL is secure and convenient for voters and that H.B. 2415 does not make voting more accessible, accurate and secure.

House Action                                                           Senate Action

MOE               2/8/23        DP          6-4-0-0            ELEC              3/20/23      DP          5-3-0

3rd Read          2/21/23                     31-29-0            3rd Read          4/4/23                       16-14-0

Vetoed by the Governor on 4/6/23

Prepared by Senate Research

April 10, 2023

AN/CS/slp