Assigned to GOV AS PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1577
elections; adjudicated ballots; categories
Purpose
Requires a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to separate and record
duplicated and adjudicated ballots by type of defect or damage and by type of ballot and submit a
report to the Legislature. Classifies, as a class 2 misdemeanor, a person knowingly violating
prescribed separation and recording requirements for duplicated or adjudicated ballots.
Background
If any ballot is damaged or defective and cannot be properly counted by automatic
tabulating equipment, a duplicate copy must be made of, and substituted for, the damaged or
defective ballot in the presence of witnesses. If the counting center automatic tabulating equipment
includes a certified electronic vote adjudication feature, the county board of supervisors or officer
in charge of elections must appoint an electronic vote adjudication board (adjudication board). The
adjudication board must: 1) adjudicate and submit for tabulation a ballot that is read by the
tabulation machine as blank to determine if voter intent is clear; or 2) tally write-in choices. The
electronic vote adjudication process used by the adjudication board must provide for: 1) a method
to track and account for the original ballot and the digital duplicate of the ballot created by the
electronic vote adjudication feature that includes a serial number on the digital image; 2) logs of
all digital duplication and adjudication actions performed by an adjudication board; and 3) the
retention of the original ballot and the digital duplicate of the ballot (A.R.S. § 16-621).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to separate and maintain the
separation of any electronically or manually duplicated or adjudicated ballots by type of defect
or damage and by type of ballots and report the following on the county's website:
a) type of ballot and category of defect or damage for the ballots processed by the county;
and
b) the number of ballots of each type in each category of defect or damage.
2. Requires a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to submit a report containing
the prescribed duplicated and adjudicated ballot information to the President of the Senate and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and provide a copy of the report to the Secretary
of State. FACT SHEET - Amended
S.B. 1577
Page 2
3. Classifies, as a class 2 misdemeanor, a person knowingly violating the separation or recording
requirements for duplicated or adjudicated ballots.
4. Makes a technical change.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
• Requires a person to knowingly violate requirements relating to duplicated and adjudicated
ballot reporting in order to be guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
Senate Action
GOV 2/10/22 DP 4-3-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 10, 2022
MH/HW/slp