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