Assigned to ELEC FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2322
early ballots; signatures; guidelines; challenges
Purpose
Designates the Secretary of State's (SOS) July 2020 Signature Verification Guide
(Signature Verification Guide) as the minimum requirements for signature verification of a voter's
early ballot affidavit.
Background
On receipt of an envelope containing an early ballot and ballot affidavit, a county recorder
or other officer in charge of elections must compare the signature on the ballot affidavit with the
signature on the elector's registration record. If the signatures are inconsistent, the county recorder
or other officer in charge of elections must attempt to contact the voter, advise the voter of the
inconsistency and allow the voter to correct the inconsistent signature. If satisfied that the
signatures correspond, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must hold the
envelope containing the early ballot and completed affidavit unopened and may deliver them for
tallying (A.R.S. ยง 16-550).
Signature verification is the process of comparing the signature on a voter's affidavit
envelope or ballot affidavit with the voter's signature in the voter registration database. The
Signature Verification Guide is used as a reference for the purposes of signature verification during
early ballot processing. The Signature Verification Guide includes information on: 1) signature
analysis; 2) broad characteristics of signatures; 3) local characteristics of signatures; 4) electronic
signatures; 5) assisted voters; and 6) practice exercises. Additionally, the signature verification
guide provides images of genuine and questioned signatures as examples for comparing and
analyzing signatures. The Signature Verification Guide prescribes additional guidelines stating
that: 1) if a name is misspelled, the signature should not be accepted; 2) the broad characteristics
of a signature should be evaluated first when analyzing signatures; 3) if the signature on the ballot
affidavit is consistent with the broad characteristics in the voter registration database, then the
signature should be accepted; and 4) a signature's slant may show evidence of a forgery. If there
are inconsistencies between the signatures on the early ballot affidavit and the voter registration
database, the local characteristics of the signature should be evaluated next. The local
characteristics of a signature include internal spacing, pen lifts and the beginning and ending
strokes of a signature (SOS).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
FACT SHEET
H.B. 2322
Page 2
Provisions
1. Designates the Signature Verification Guide as the minimum requirements for comparing the
signatures on a voter's early ballot envelope with the signature on the voter's registration
record.
2. Requires signatures that cannot be verified in accordance with the Signature Verification Guide
to be rejected.
3. Exempts early ballots tabulated on-site at a voting center or polling place from the
requirements relating to signature verification.
4. Makes technical changes.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
MOE 1/25/23 DP 6-4-0-0
3
rd
Read 2/22/23 47-13-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 1, 2023
AN/CS/slp