Assigned to ELEC FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1009
voting 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 the Motor
Vehicle Division (MVD), 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
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 the signature is inconsistent with the elector's signature on the elector's
registration record, a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must make reasonable
efforts to contact the voter and allow the voter to correct the signature within the prescribed time
frame. 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
MVD, 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.
3. Allows only a political party, county recorder or election official to distribute early ballot
request forms or AEVL request forms to voters. FACT SHEET
S.B. 1009
Page 2
4. Exempts, from the prohibition relating to distributing early ballot request forms, an election
that is held by a statutorily authorized special taxing district for the purpose of protecting and
providing services to agricultural lands or crops.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 8, 2024
AN/cs