Assigned to ELEC AS PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2497
technical correction; joint school district
NOW: department of education; reports; consolidation
(NOW: petitions; electronic signatures)
Purpose
Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to provide a secure, online petition signature
collection system (E-Qual) for candidates for judicial office.
Background
In 2014, the Legislature enacted legislation that requires the SOS to provide for E-Qual for
qualified electors to sign a nomination petition by way of a secure internet portal and requires the
E-Qual to authorize and verify the identity of those qualified elector's eligible to sign a candidate's
petition. Any nomination petition for a candidate for judge of the superior court, judge of the court
of appeals or justice of the supreme court to be voted on at any election must be prepared and filed
and include a minimum number of required nomination petition signatures. Statute prescribes the
minimum number of signatures that a nomination petition must include as follows: 1) at least
one-fourth of the qualified signers in the state, for a state office excluding members of the
Legislature; and 2) at least one percent of the qualified signers in the county or district, for a county
office or superior court judge (A.R.S. §§ 16-322 and 16-333; Laws 2014, Ch. 45).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the SOS to provide for E-Qual for qualified electors to sign a nomination petition for
candidates for judicial offices that require nomination petitions and the office of clerk of the
superior court that allows candidates to collect up to 125 percent of the full amount of required
nomination petition signatures by way of a secure internet portal.
2. Makes conforming changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
• Adopted the strike-everything amendment.
FACT SHEET – Amended
H.B. 2497
Page 2
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
• Increases the amount of nomination petition signatures that a judicial candidate may collect.
Senate Action
ELEC 3/18/24 DPA/SE 7-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
April 2, 2024
AN/HS/cs