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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
new party recognition; signatures; circulators
Purpose
An emergency measure that voids a signature sheet for a new party petition that contains any signature collected over 24 months before the primary election at which the party seeks recognition.
Background
A new political party seeking recognition in Arizona at the next regular primary election and ensuing general election must file a petition with the SOS at least 250 days before the primary election at which the party seeks recognition. The petition must be signed by a number of qualified electors equal to at least one and one-third percent of the total votes cast for governor at the last preceding general election at which a governor was elected. The petition must be verified by the affidavit of 10 qualified electors asking that the signers be recognized as a new political party and on a form that allows qualified electors to: 1) sign and print their name; 2) state their address; and 3) mark the date signed. Within seven days of receiving the petition, the SOS must remove signatures that are not eligible for verification due to missing information and randomly select 20 percent of the signatures eligible for verification by each applicable county recorder for the county in which the qualified elector of a signature claims to live. Within 10 business days of receiving the signatures from the SOS, the county recorder must determine which signatures received from the SOS must be disqualified for reasons including, but not limited to: 1) an illegible or nonexistent provided address; 2) the individual was not a qualified elector on the date of signing the petition; 3) the signature is illegible and the signer is otherwise unidentifiable; and 4) the signature is disqualified after comparison with the signature on the affidavit of registration. The county recorder must then certify to the SOS any signatures that are disqualified for the SOS to determine the total number of valid petition signatures. If the number of valid signatures as projected from the random sample is at least 100 percent of the minimum number required, the party must be recognized (A.R.S. §§ 16-801 and 16-803).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Voids a signature sheet for a new party petition that contains one or more signatures that are collected more than 24 months before the primary election at which the party seeks recognition.
2. Requires a filing officer to remove a voided signature sheet for a new party petition from the new party petition.
3. Prohibits a filing officer from accepting a voided signature sheet for a new party petition.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
5. Becomes effective on signature of the Governor, if the emergency clause is enacted.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Removes the requirement that political party petition circulators register with the SOS.
2. Removes the requirement that new political party petition requirements be strictly construed.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Voids only a signature sheet for a new party petition, rather than the entire new party petition.
2. Requires a filing officer to remove a voided signature sheet from a new party petition.
3. Makes conforming changes.
House Action Senate Action
MOE 1/31/24 DPA 8-0-0-1 ELEC 3/18/24 DPA 7-0-1
3rd Read 2/9/24 57-2-0-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
April 2, 2024
AN/HS/cs