SB 1342
Initials JH Page 1 House Engrossed
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
Senate: ELEC DPA 6-0-2-0 | 3
rd
Read: 26-2-2-0
House: MOE DP 9-0-0-0
SB 1342: elections; parties; hand count audits
Sponsor: Senator Kavanagh, LD 3
House Engrossed
Overview
Establishes specified procedures for the selection of hand count board workers.
History
The officer in charge of elections is required to conduct a hand count of a sample of ballots to
test the accuracy of the vote tabulation equipment provided there is participation from the
county political parties. The county political party chairs select the precincts to be audited by
lot without the use of a computer. Each county must select at least 2% or two precincts,
whichever is greater. The hand count board members are selected by the county chairpersons
of each political party and must be submitted to the officer in charge of elections by 5:00 p.m.
on the Tuesday before the election (A.R.S. § 16-602)
In the 2022 general election, 12 of Arizona's 15 counties conducted a hand count audit, 8 of
which found no discrepancies and 4 found discrepancies that were within the acceptable
margin. The Vote Count Verification Committee establishes the acceptable margins for hand
count audits (2022 Hand Count Audit).
Provisions
1. Specifies the hand count audit must be performed by the selected political party designees
under the supervision of the officer in charge of elections. (Sec. 1)
2. Instructs the officer in charge of elections to provide compensation, not including travel,
meal or lodging expenses, to the political party appointees selected to perform the hand
count. (Sec. 1)
3. Clarifies that the hand count cannot proceed unless the political parties provide the
officer in charge of elections a sufficient number of persons, in writing, by 5:00 p.m. on
the Thursday before the elections. (Sec. 1)
4. Clarifies, for the hand count to proceed, in addition to the requirements outlined above, a
sufficient number of persons must arrive to perform the hand count. (Sec. 1)
5. Requires political party designees to be selected to perform the hand count as follows:
a) the county chairperson of each political party must select the number of hand count
board members as designated by the officer in charge of elections and provide this
information to both the officer in charge of elections and the state party chairperson;
b) if the county party chairperson fails to designate a sufficient number of hand count
board workers, the state party chairperson is required to select qualified electors to
serve as hand count board members;
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note SB 1342
Initials JH Page 2 House Engrossed
c) if both the county and state party chairpersons fail to designate a sufficient number
of hand count board members, the highest-ranking statewide official must designate
qualified electors to serve as hand count board members. (Sec. 1)
6. Instructs the political parties to provide, in writing, the names of persons intending to
participate in the hand count to the officer in charge of elections by 5:00 p.m. on the second
Tuesday before the election. (Sec. 1)
7. Specifies, if a shortage of designated hand count board workers occurs, the officer in
charge of elections must notify the parties by 9:00 a.m. on the second Wednesday before
the election and the parties may provide an additional list of qualified electors willing to
participate in the hand count by 9:00 a.m. on the second Thursday before the election.
(Sec. 1)
8. Directs the officer in charge of elections to provide the list of additional qualified electors
willing to participate in the hand count to the county and state political party
chairpersons by 5:00 p.m. on the second Friday before the election. (Sec. 1)
9. Specifies no more than 75% of the persons selected to conduct the hand count may be
members of the same political party. (Sec. 1)
10. Authorizes the officer in charge of elections or the County Recorder to prohibit persons
from participating in the hand count audit if the persons are taking serious actions to
disrupt the count or are unable to perform the assigned duties. (Sec. 1)
11. Instructs the county to post the results of the hand counts on their website. (Sec. 1)
12. Makes technical changes.