House Engrossed election procedures manual; authority State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HOUSE BILL 2205 AN ACT amending section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the conduct of elections. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
House Engrossed election procedures manual; authority
State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
HOUSE BILL 2205
House Engrossed
election procedures manual; authority
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
2025
HOUSE BILL 2205
AN ACT
amending section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the conduct of elections.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE16-452. Rules; instructions and procedures manual; approval of manual; field check and review of systems; violation; classification A. After consultation with each county board of supervisors or other officer in charge of elections, the secretary of state shall prescribe rules to achieve and maintain the maximum degree of correctness, impartiality, uniformity and efficiency on the procedures for early voting and voting, and of producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots. The secretary of state shall also adopt rules regarding fax transmittal of unvoted ballots, ballot requests, voted ballots and other election materials to and from absent uniformed and overseas citizens and shall adopt rules regarding internet receipt of requests for federal postcard applications prescribed by section 16-543. B. The rules shall be prescribed in an official instructions and procedures manual to be issued not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year immediately preceding the general election. Before its issuance, the manual shall be approved by the governor and the attorney general. The secretary of state shall submit the manual to the governor and the attorney general not later than October 1 of the year before each general election. C. A person who violates any rule adopted pursuant to this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor. D. The secretary of state shall provide personnel who are experts in electronic voting systems and procedures and in electronic voting system security to field check and review electronic voting systems and recommend needed statutory and procedural changes. E. The requirement to adopt an official instructions and procedures manual pursuant to this section shall not be construed as an excessive delegation of legislative powers. THE OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES MANUAL HAS THE FORCE OF LAW ONLY FOR THOSE PROVISIONS THAT THE LEGISLATURE has specifically AUTHORIZED THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO INCLUDE and not the sections included pursuant to the general grant of authority in subsection A of this section.END_STATUTE
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE16-452. Rules; instructions and procedures manual; approval of manual; field check and review of systems; violation; classification
A. After consultation with each county board of supervisors or other officer in charge of elections, the secretary of state shall prescribe rules to achieve and maintain the maximum degree of correctness, impartiality, uniformity and efficiency on the procedures for early voting and voting, and of producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots. The secretary of state shall also adopt rules regarding fax transmittal of unvoted ballots, ballot requests, voted ballots and other election materials to and from absent uniformed and overseas citizens and shall adopt rules regarding internet receipt of requests for federal postcard applications prescribed by section 16-543.
B. The rules shall be prescribed in an official instructions and procedures manual to be issued not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year immediately preceding the general election. Before its issuance, the manual shall be approved by the governor and the attorney general. The secretary of state shall submit the manual to the governor and the attorney general not later than October 1 of the year before each general election.
C. A person who violates any rule adopted pursuant to this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
D. The secretary of state shall provide personnel who are experts in electronic voting systems and procedures and in electronic voting system security to field check and review electronic voting systems and recommend needed statutory and procedural changes.
E. The requirement to adopt an official instructions and procedures manual pursuant to this section shall not be construed as an excessive delegation of legislative powers. THE OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES MANUAL HAS THE FORCE OF LAW ONLY FOR THOSE PROVISIONS THAT THE LEGISLATURE has specifically AUTHORIZED THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO INCLUDE and not the sections included pursuant to the general grant of authority in subsection A of this section.END_STATUTE