Arizona 2024 2024 Regular Session

Arizona Senate Bill SB1285 Comm Sub / Analysis

Filed 02/01/2024

                    Assigned to ELEC 	FOR COMMITTEE 
 
 
 
 
ARIZONA STATE SENATE 
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session 
 
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1285 
 
local candidates; petitions; electronic signatures 
Purpose 
Allows a candidate to collect up to 110 percent of the minimum number of required 
nomination petition signatures by using the online signature collection system. 
Background 
Statute outlines requirements relating to the nomination of candidates on the official ballot 
of a general or special election. A person who wishes to become a candidate at a primary election 
for a political party or a candidate at any nonpartisan election must file a nomination paper that 
includes 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 
percent of the qualified signers in the county or district, for a county office or superior court judge; 
2) at least two percent or 10 qualified signatures of the same party in the precinct, for a county 
precinct committee; and 3) at least five percent of the qualified signers in the city or town, for a 
city or town office. The Secretary of State must provide a system for the qualified signers to sign 
the nomination petition for candidates for a city or town office, county office and the office of the 
precinct committeeman through a secure internet portal. The online signature collection system 
must allow only the qualified electors who are eligible to sign a petition for a particular candidate 
to sign the petition and provide a method to verify the elector's identity. A candidate may collect 
up to the minimum number of required nomination petition signatures through the online signature 
collection system (A.R.S. Title 16, Chapter 3). 
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this 
legislation. 
Provisions 
1. Increases the number of nomination petition signatures that a candidate for city, town, county 
or precinct committeeman office may collect using the online signature collection system from 
100 percent to 110 percent of the minimum number of required nomination petition signatures. 
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.  
Prepared by Senate Research 
January 31, 2024 
AN/HS/cs