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REFERENCE TITLE: election officials; threats; intimidation |
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State of Arizona Senate Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session 2024
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SB 1518 |
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Introduced by Senators Sundareshan: Bennett
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An Act
amending title 16, chapter 7, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 16-1023; relating to election officials.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 16, chapter 7, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 16-1023, to read:
16-1023. Election official intimidation; civil action; violation; classification; definition
A. It is unlawful for a person, whether verbally, in writing or in person, to threaten, coerce or intimidate an election official with the intent to:
1. Impede or interfere with the election official while the election official is engaged in the performance of the election official's duties.
2. Retaliate against the election official based on the election official's performance of the election official's duties.
B. It is unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, to knowingly make use of threats of force, coercion, violence, restraint, damage, harm or loss, including loss of employment or economic reprisal, against an election official with the intent to influence the election official in the performance of the election official's duties.
C. It is unlawful for a person to intentionally and physically obstruct an election official from access to or egress from a voting location, counting center, elections office or other elections facility or any other location where an election official performs an official duty.
D. A person may file a civil action for injunctive relief to prevent or restrain violations of this section or to recover damages, or both. The filing party may show that the action or attempted action would cause a reasonable person to feel intimidated and is not required to show that the person intended to cause the filing party to feel intimidated.
E. A person who violates this section is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.
F. For the purposes of this section, "election official" means an individual, including an election board member, who is assigned by this state or a political subdivision of this state to perform official duties related to elections.