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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
write-in candidates; filing deadline; cancellation
Purpose
Requires a write-in candidate to file a nomination paper no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 92nd, rather than 106th, day before an election that may be cancelled due to lack of competing candidates.
Background
A person seeking write-in candidacy for an elective office in any election must be a qualified elector of the county or district the person proposes to represent and must be a resident of the county or district for at least 120 days before the date of the election. The person seeking write-in candidacy must file a nomination paper that is signed by the person, contains the person's actual residence address and is filed within the prescribed timeframe, including: 1) no earlier than 150 days before the election and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 40th day before the election; 2) no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 5th day before an election at which a vacancy occurs due to the voluntary or involuntary withdrawal of a candidate following the printing of official ballots; and 3) no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 106th day before an election that may be cancelled due to lack of competing candidates (A.R.S. § 16-312).
The county board of supervisors (county BOS) may cancel any election that is to be held to elect candidates to a governing board for a school district or special taxing district, as well as to elect candidates to the office of precinct committeeman, if the total number of persons who file a nomination petition for a candidate and the number of persons who file a nomination paper for write-in candidates is less than or equal to the number of positions to be filled at the election for which the nomination petition or paper is filed. The county BOS may not cancel the election earlier than 105 days before the election (A.R.S. § 16-410).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires a write-in candidate for an election to file a nomination paper no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 92nd, rather than 106th, day before an election that may be cancelled due to lack of competing candidates.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 7, 2025
ZD/KS/ci