ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: MOE DP 5-4-0-0

HB 2876: elections; mailing; curing; canvassing; precincts

Sponsor: Representative Carbone, LD 25

House Engrossed

Overview

Prohibits the use of voting center locations and outlines requirements for early ballot voting.

History

Voting centers may be established in place of or in addition to precinct-based polling places on specific resolution of the Board of Supervisors. Ballots are printed on demand at voting centers, allowing all qualified electors within a county to receive the appropriate ballot for each of their respected counties at the location. The precinct voting model employs pre-printed ballots specific to each precinct and designates one polling place within each precinct (A.R.S. §§ 16-411, 16-413).

Requests for early ballots are made with the County Recorder or officer in charge of elections verbally or through signed mail within 93 days before the election. Early ballots are printed based on each elector's precinct and distributed no earlier than 27 days before election day. Any qualified elector of the state may vote by early ballot for any election (A.R.S. §§ 16-541 et. seq.).

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteEliminates the use of voting centers, early voting locations or similar methods of voting. (Sec. 1)

2.   Requires that all voting occur through individual precinct voting locations with preprinted ballots. (Sec. 1)

3.   Limits those who may vote an early ballot to qualified electors who are:

a)   students temporarily absent from the state for the purpose of attending school;

b)   required to temporarily reside outside of the state;

c) required to travel on election day;

d)   elderly or disabled persons; and

e)   eligible electors under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. (Sec. 2)

4.   Extends the beginning of the early ballot distribution period from no more than 27 days to no more than 34 days prior to the election and if an early ballot is requested 38 days or more prior to an election, the early ballot must not be distributed earlier than 34 days prior to the election. (Sec. 3)

5.   Reduces the signature curing period from no later than the fifth business days after a primary, general or special election with a federal office or the third business days after any other election to the second business day following any election. (Sec. 4)

6.   Revises the period elections must be canvased from between 6 and 20 days to between 6 and 12 days following an election. (Sec. 6)

7.   Instructs the Secretary of State to canvass all state offices 14 calendar days following a general election as opposed to the fourth Monday following a general election. (Sec. 7)

8.   Contains a conforming legislation clause. (Sec. 8)

9.   Entitles this act as the Free, Fair and Transparent Elections Act. (Sec. 9)

10.  Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

11.  Makes technical changes. (Sec. 3, 4, 5)

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15.                    HB 2876

16.  Initials JH/CE     Page 0 House Engrossed

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