Assigned to ELEC AS VETOED
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
VETOED
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2552
voting; elections; tally; prohibition
Purpose
Prohibits certain entities from using a voting method or nomination process that includes
the ranking of candidates or allows candidates to be eliminated through multiple rounds of
tabulation. Requires the person who receives the highest number of legal votes in an election to be
declared elected.
Background
A primary election must be held on the first Tuesday in August in any year when a general
or special election is held (A.R.S. § 16-201). A candidate, for partisan elections, must be nominated
in a primary election to appear on the general election ballot. A candidate may either be nominated
by: 1) winning a recognized political party's election; or 2) receiving nomination petition
signatures from qualified electors (EPM Ch. 6 (6)(I)(A)(1)). A candidate seeking nomination to
appear on the general election ballot through a primary election must be a qualified elector in the
electoral district for the office sought and a member of the political party for which the candidate
is seeking nomination (A.R.S. § 16-311). For a partisan primary election, the candidate who
receives the largest number of votes must be declared the party nominee for the office and a
certificate of nomination must be issued by the county board of supervisors (county BOS). In the
general election, the candidate who receives the largest number of votes must be declared elected
and the county BOS or designee must issue a certificate of election (EPM Ch. 13 (13)(I)).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits the state or a city, town, county or political subdivision from using a voting method
or nomination process in an election for any state, city, town, county or federal office that:
a) allows voters to select or rank, designate or indicate approval of or preference for more
candidates than are eligible to be declared elected for any office;
b) allows ballots cast to be tabulated in any manner that eliminates candidates through
multiple rounds of tabulation or the transfer or redistribution of votes between or among
candidates; and
c) requires ranking of every candidate for an office as a condition of a vote being counted in
the final tally. FACT SHEET – Vetoed
H.B. 2552
Page 2
2. Requires, for an election held in Arizona, the person who receives the highest number of legal
votes to be declared elected.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Governor's Veto Message
The Governor indicates in her veto message that ranked choice voting is an election process
that is used successfully elsewhere in the country and, because ranked choice voting is not
currently utilized in Arizona, H.B. 2552 is unnecessary.
House Action Senate Action
MOE 2/15/23 DP 6-4-0-0 ELEC 3/20/23 DP 5-3-0
3
rd
Read 3/1/23 31-28-1 3
rd
Read 4/5/23 16-14-0
Vetoed by the Governor on 4/12/23
Prepared by Senate Research
April 12, 2023
AN/CS/slp