Assigned to GOV FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2786
voter registrations; ballot requests; source
Purpose
Prohibits a county recorder from using the signature on a request to amend a voter's
registration or a request for an early ballot that is not on an official form printed by a county
recorder or other officer in charge of elections as the sole exemplar for subsequent signature
comparison. Removes the ability for a candidate, political committee or other organization to
distribute early ballot request forms or Active Early Voter List (AEVL) request forms to voters.
Background
The Secretary of State and a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must
supply voter registration forms to any qualified person requesting registration information. A
county recorder may provide voter registration forms to groups and individuals that request forms
for conducting voter registration drives (A.R.S. §§ 16-131 and 16-151). A voter may also request
to be placed on the AEVL and receive a ballot-by-mail for each election the voter is eligible. Each
county recorder must maintain the AEVL as a part of the voter registration roll (A.R.S. § 16-542).
A candidate, political committee or other organization may distribute early ballot request
forms or AEVL request forms to voters. If a candidate, political committee or organization collects
an early ballot request form or AEVL request form, the candidate, political committee or
organization must return any completed request forms to the appropriate county recorder within 6
business days of receipt or 11 days before the election, whichever is earlier (A.R.S. §§ 16-542 and
16-544). On receipt of the envelope containing the early ballot and the ballot affidavit, a county
recorder or other officer in charge of elections must compare the signature on an envelope
containing an elector's early ballot and ballot affidavit with the signature on the elector's
registration record. If satisfied that the signatures correspond, a county recorder or other officer in
charge of elections must hold the envelope containing the early ballot and completed affidavit
unopened and may deliver the early ballot and affidavit for tallying (A.R.S. § 16-550).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a county recorder, for any signed and preprinted request to amend a voter's
registration or request an early ballot on a form that is not on an official form printed by the
county recorder or other officer in charge of elections, from using the signature of the voter on
the request as the sole exemplar for subsequent comparison.
2. Removes the ability of a candidate, political committee or other organization to distribute an
early ballot or AEVL request form to a voter. FACT SHEET
H.B. 2786
Page 2
3. Allows only a political party, county recorder or election official to distribute early ballot
request forms or AEVL request forms to voters.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
GE 2/16/22 DP 7-6-0-0
3
rd
Read 3/1/22 31-26-3
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2022
MH/MF/slp