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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
voting locations; emergency designation; electioneering
Purpose
Modifies restrictions related to electioneering and requires all government-owned buildings or facilities of a county, city or town that are accessible to the public to be made available as voting locations on request.
Background
Statute prohibits engaging in electioneering within 75 feet of a polling place while the polls are open. Electioneering occurs when an individual knowingly or intentionally attempts to induce or compel another person to vote in a particular manner, or to refrain from voting, for or against a candidate who appears on the ballot in that election, a ballot question that appears on the ballot in that election or a political party with one or more candidates who appear on the ballot in that election (A.R.S. § 16-515).
Electioneering
may take place outside the 75-foot limit, except in the case of an emergency.
At least two weeks before election day, the county recorder or other officer in
charge of elections must post on its website a list of polling places at which
electioneering is prohibited due to emergency conditions. The reason for
granting emergency designation and the number of attempts made to find a
polling place before granting emergency designation must be specified. If a
polling place has received emergency designation due to an act of God or due to
a lack of suitable locations willing to be a polling place without an emergency
designation, electioneering may be prohibited outside the 75-foot limit but
permitted inside the facility hosting the polling place (A.R.S.
§
16-411).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires all government-owned buildings or facilities of a county, city or town that are accessible to the public, notwithstanding any other law, to be made available as voting locations for any election when requested by the officer in charge of elections.
2. Specifies that a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections may give a polling place a non-electioneering designation, rather than an emergency designation, for the purpose of prohibiting electioneering at that location.
3. Specifies that non-electioneering designations may only be given to facilities that are not government-owned.
4. Makes conforming changes.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
FMAE 2/5/25 DP 4-1-2-0
3rd Read 2/20/25 39-19-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 3, 2025
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