SB 1285
Initials JH Page 1 Transmitted to the Governor
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
Senate: ELEC DP 7-0-1-0 | 3
rd
Read: 29-0-1-0
House: MOE DPA 9-0-0-0 | 3
rd
Read: 60-0-0-0
Final Read: 27-1-2-0
SB 1285: local candidates; petitions; electronic signatures
Sponsor: Senator Hoffman, LD 15
Transmitted to the Governor
Overview
An emergency measure that clarifies certain provisions of Laws 2024, Chapter 1.
History
Laws 2024, Chapter 1
Laws 2024, Chapter 1, an emergency measure which became effective on February 9
th
, 2024,
contains provisions related to primary, general and special election procedures and deadlines,
automatic recounts and signature verification standards. Notably, this law changed the 2024
primary election date from August 6, 2024, to July 30, 2024.
E-Qual & Nomination Petitions
Statute requires candidates to submit a minimum number of nomination petition signatures
to the appropriate filing officer at least 120 days before the election. A candidate for county
precinct committeeman, for instance, must obtain a minimum of 2% of the party registration
in their precinct, or 10 signatures, whichever is less (A.R.S. §§ 16-314, 16-322).
Laws 2014, Chapter 45 directed the Secretary of State to establish a system to allow voters
to sign nomination petitions for statewide and legislative candidates through a secure online
portal. The Secretary of State subsequently implemented the E-Qual system. In 2016, the
legislature passed a law that expanded, beginning in 2017, the use of E-Qual to allow
candidates for local offices to collect up to the minimum number of required nomination
petition signatures through the secure internet portal (A.R.S. § 16-317).
Provisions
E-Qual Signatures, Local Initiative Petitions & Statements of Interest
1. Limits, through 2024, the total number of nomination petition signatures a candidate for
local office may obtain through the online signature collection system to the minimum
number of required signatures.
2. Specifies, beginning in 2025, a candidate for local office may obtain through the online
signature collection system up to 110% of the minimum number of required nomination
petition signatures.
3. Clarifies that electronic nomination petition signatures lawfully collected before, on or
after February 9, 2024, or before, on or after the effective date of this act that used a
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☒ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note SB 1285
Initials JH Page 2 Transmitted to the Governor
petition form that includes the former primary election date may lawfully submit those
signatures for the July 30, 2024, primary election.
4. Prohibits the filing officer from rejecting petitions or signatures, including petitions and
signatures submitted through the electronic signature collection system and municipal or
county initiative petitions circulated before, on or after February 9, 2024, or the effective
date of this act, based solely on the date of the primary election.
5. Clarifies that a person is not required to file a new or amended statement of interest
based solely on the change in the 2024 primary election date.
City and Town Clerk's Offices
6. Clarifies, for primary, general or special elections that include a federal office, any city or
town clerk's offices that have an agreement with the county to be used as locations at
which a voter may submit proof of identification must be open during regular business
hours during the Friday and weekend before and the Friday and weekend after the
election to allow for curing signatures.
7. Clarifies that regular business hours include, at a minimum, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00p.m.
Conditional Provisional Ballots
8. Requires a voter to provide proof of identification to the County Recorder or officer in
charge of elections to cure a conditional provisional ballot no later than the fifth business
day after primary, general or special elections that include a federal office or the third
business day for all other elections.
Miscellaneous Provisions
9. Clarifies that any election item that was duly called by a city, town or county for the
August 6, 2024, primary election date must be placed on the ballot for the newly
designated primary election date of July 30, 2024.
10. Contains an emergency clause.