Assigned to JUDE FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1152
early voting; mailing date
Purpose
Modifies statutory timeframes related to the distribution of early ballots and the mailing of
official ballots for mail ballot elections in special taxing districts.
Background
An elector in Arizona may make a verbal or signed request for an official early ballot to
the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections within 93 days before an election occurs.
The elector must provide the elector's name, address, date of birth, state or country of birth or other
information that would confirm the identity of the elector when compared to the voter registration
information on file. Early ballot distribution may not begin until 27 days before the election. If an
early ballot request is received within 31 days before the election, the early ballot must be
distributed within 27 to 24 days before the election. The county recorder or other officer in charge
of elections must mail the early ballot to the elector within 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays
and other legal holidays, if the complete and correct early ballot request is received within 27 days
before the election. For absent U.S. Uniformed Services voters, the regular early ballot must be
transmitted by mail, fax or other electronic format approved by the Secretary of State, within
24 hours of the early ballots being delivered to the county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections and after receipt of a complete and correct early ballot request (A.R.S. § 16-542).
A special taxing district may conduct a mail ballot election if the governing board of the
district obtains approval from the county board of supervisors in which the special taxing district,
or greater part of the special taxing district, is located. Mail ballots for a mail ballot election must
be distributed between 27 and 15 days before the election (A.R.S. §§ 16-558 and 16-558.01).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Decreases, from 27 to 21, the number of days before an election during which early ballot
distribution may begin.
2. Modifies, from between 27 and 24 days before an election to between 21 and 18 days before
an election, the timeframe during which an early ballot must be distributed when the early
ballot request is received within 31 days before the election.
3. Requires the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to mail an elector's early
ballot within 48 hours of receiving the elector's complete and correct early ballot request, if the
request is received within 21 days, rather than 27 days, before the election. FACT SHEET
S.B. 1152
Page 2
4. Decreases, from 27 to 21, the maximum number of days before a mail ballot election for a
special taxing district during which the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections
must mail all official ballots.
5. Makes technical changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 3, 2025
ZD/KS/ci