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REFERENCE TITLE: elections; signatures; public record |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
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HB 2469 |
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Introduced by Representatives McGarr: Hendrix, Jones, Willoughby
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An Act
amending section 16-550, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to early voting.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 16-550, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
16-550. Receipt of voter's ballot; cure period; tracking system; public record
A. Except for early ballots tabulated as prescribed in section 16-579.02, on receipt of the envelope containing the early ballot and the ballot affidavit, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall compare the signatures thereon signature on the envelope with the signature of the elector on the elector's registration record. If the signature is inconsistent with the elector's signature on the elector's registration record, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall make reasonable efforts to contact the voter, advise the voter of the inconsistent signature and allow the voter to correct or the county to confirm the inconsistent signature. The county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall allow signatures to be corrected not later than the fifth business day after a primary, general or special election that includes a federal office or the third business day after any other election. If the signature is missing, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall make reasonable efforts to contact the elector, advise the elector of the missing signature and allow the elector to add the elector's signature not later than 7:00 p.m. on election day. If satisfied that the signatures correspond, the recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall hold the envelope containing the early ballot and the completed affidavit unopened in accordance with the rules of the secretary of state.
B. The recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall thereafter safely keep the affidavits and early ballots in the recorder's or other officer's office and may deliver them for tallying pursuant to section 16-551. Tallying of ballots may begin immediately after the envelope and completed affidavit are processed pursuant to this section and delivered to the early election board.
C. The county recorder shall send a list of all voters who were issued early ballots to the election board of the precinct in which the voter is registered.
D. For a county that uses early ballots, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall provide an early ballot tracking system that indicates whether the voter's early ballot has been received and whether the early ballot has been verified and sent to be tabulated or rejected. The county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall provide voters with access to the early ballot tracking system on the county's website.
E. Notwithstanding any other law, a voter's signature on the voter's registration record and a voter's signature on an early ballot affidavit are public records and may be requested by any candidate or other person. Within forty-eight hours after a request and if requested for a noncommercial purpose, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall provide access to or copies of the voter's signatures on the voter's registration record and early ballot affidavit.
E. F. This section does not apply to:
1. A special taxing district that is authorized pursuant to section 16-191 to conduct its own elections.
2. A special district mail ballot election that is conducted pursuant to article 8.1 of this chapter.