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