Senate Engrossed House Bill

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-third Legislature

First Regular Session

2017

 

 

 

CHAPTER 126

 

HOUSE BILL 2412

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending sections 16-165, 16-168, 16-315 and 16-341, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to elections.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Section 16-165, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended effective from and after September 30, 2017, to read:

START_STATUTE16-165.  Causes for cancellation

A.  The county recorder shall cancel a registration:

1.  At the request of the person registered.

2.  When the county recorder knows of the death of the person registered.

3.  If the person has been adjudicated an incapacitated person as defined in section 14‑5101.

4.  When the person registered has been convicted of a felony, and the judgment of conviction has not been reversed or set aside.  The county recorder shall cancel the registration on receipt of notice of a felony conviction from the court or from the secretary of state or when reported by the elector on a signed juror questionnaire that is completed pursuant to section 21‑314.

5.  On production of a certified copy of a judgment directing a cancellation to be made.

6.  Promptly after the election if the person registered has applied for a ballot pursuant to section 16‑126.

7.  When a person has been on the inactive voter list and has not voted during the time periods prescribed in section 16‑166, subsection C.

8.  When the county recorder receives written information from the person registered that the person has a change of residence within the county and the person does not complete and return a new registration form within twenty‑nine days after the county recorder mails notification of the need to complete and return a new registration form with current information.

9.  When the county recorder receives written information from the person registered that the person has a change of address outside the county.

B.  If the county recorder cancels a registration pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 8 of this section, the county recorder shall send the person notice that the registration has been cancelled and a registration form with the information described in section 16‑131, subsection C attached to the form.

C.  When proceedings in the superior court or the United States district court result in a person being declared incapable of taking care of himself and managing his property, and for whom a guardian of the person and estate is appointed, result in such person being committed as an insane person or result in a person being convicted of a felony, the clerk of the superior court in the county in which those proceedings occurred shall file with the secretary of state an official notice of that fact.  The secretary of state shall notify the appropriate county recorder and the recorder shall cancel the name of the person on the register.  Such notice shall name the person covered, shall give the person's date and place of birth if available, the person's social security number, if available, the person's usual place of residence, the person's address and the date of the notice, and shall be filed with the recorder of the county where the person last resided.

D.  Each month the department of health services shall transmit to the secretary of state without charge a record of the death of every resident of the state reported to the department within the preceding month.  This record shall include only the name of the decedent, the decedent's date of birth, the decedent's date of death, the decedent's social security number, if available, the decedent's usual legal residence at the time of death and, if available, the decedent's father's name or mother's maiden name.  The secretary of state shall use the record for the sole purpose of canceling the names of deceased persons from the statewide voter registration database.  In addition, the department of health services shall annually provide to the secretary of state from the statewide electronic death registration system without charge a record of all deaths of residents of this state that are reported to the department of health services.  The records transmitted by the department of health services shall include only the name of the decedent, the decedent's date of birth, the decedent's social security number, if available, the decedent's usual legal residence at the time of death and, if available, the decedent's father's name or mother's maiden name.  The secretary of state may compare the records of deaths with the statewide voter registration database.  Public access to the records is prohibited.  Use of information from the records for purposes other than those required by this section is prohibited.  The name of each deceased person shall promptly be canceled from the statewide voter registration database and the secretary of state shall notify the appropriate county recorder and the recorder shall cancel the name of the person from the register. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.  Section 16-168, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-168.  Precinct registers; date of preparation; contents; copies; reports; statewide database; violation; classification

A.  By the tenth day preceding the primary and general elections the county recorder shall prepare from the original registration forms or from electronic media at least four lists that are printed or typed on paper, or at least two electronic media poll lists, or any combination of both, of all qualified electors in each precinct in the county, and the lists shall be the official precinct registers.

B.  The official precinct registers for use at the polling place shall contain at least the names in full, party preference, date of registration and residence address of each qualified elector in the respective precincts.  The names shall be in alphabetical order and, in a column to the left of the names, shall be numbered consecutively beginning with number 1 in each precinct register.

C.  For the purposes of transmitting voter registration information as prescribed by this subsection, electronic media shall be the principal media.  A county or state chairman who is eligible to receive copies of precinct lists as prescribed by this subsection may request that the recorder provide a paper copy of the precinct lists.  In addition to preparing the official precinct lists, the county recorder shall provide a means for electronically reproducing the precinct lists.  Unless otherwise agreed, the county recorder shall deliver one electronic media copy of each precinct list in the county without charge and on the same day within eight days after the close of registration for the primary and general elections to the county chairman and one electronic media copy to the state chairman of each party that has at least four candidates other than presidential electors appearing on the ballot in that county at the current election.  The secretary of state shall establish a single format that prescribes the manner and template in which all county recorders provide this data to the secretary of state to ensure that the submissions are uniform from all counties in this state, that all submissions are identical in format, including the level of detail for voting history, and that information may readily be combined from two or more counties.  The electronic media copies of the precinct lists that are delivered to the party chairmen shall include for each elector the following information:

1.  Name in full and appropriate title.

2.  Party preference.

3.  Date of registration.

4.  Residence address.

5.  Mailing address, if different from residence address.

6.  Zip code.

7.  Telephone number if given.

8.  Birth year.

9.  Occupation if given.

10.  Voting history for all elections in the prior four years and any other information regarding registered voters that the county recorder or city or town clerk maintains electronically and that is public information.

11.  All data relating to permanent early voters and nonpermanent early voters, including ballot requests and ballot returns.

D.  The names on the precinct lists shall be in alphabetical order and the precinct lists in their entirety, unless otherwise agreed, shall be delivered to each county chairman and each state chairman within ten business days of the close of each date for counting registered voters prescribed by subsection G of this section other than the primary and general election registered voter counts in the same format and media as prescribed by subsection C of this section.  During the thirty-three days immediately preceding an election and on request from a county or state chairman, the county recorder shall provide at no cost a daily list of persons who have requested an early ballot and shall provide at no cost a weekly listing of persons who have returned their early ballots.  The recorder shall provide the daily and weekly information through the Friday preceding the election.  On request from a county chairman or state chairman, the county recorder of a county with a population of more than eight hundred thousand persons shall provide at no cost a daily listing of persons who have returned their early ballots.  The daily listing shall be provided Mondays through Fridays, beginning with the first Monday following the start of early voting and ending on the Monday before the election.

E.  Precinct registers and other lists and information derived from registration forms may be used only for purposes relating to a political or political party activity, a political campaign or an election, for revising election district boundaries or for any other purpose specifically authorized by law and may not be used for a commercial purpose as defined in section 39‑121.03.  The sale of registers, lists and information derived from registration forms to a candidate or a registered political committee for a use specifically authorized by this subsection does not constitute use for a commercial purpose.  The county recorder, the secretary of state and other officers in charge of elections, on a request for an authorized use and within thirty days from receipt of the request, shall prepare additional copies of an official precinct list and furnish them to any person requesting them on payment of a fee equal to five cents for each name appearing on the register for a printed list and one cent for each name for an electronic data medium, plus the cost of the blank computer disk or computer software if furnished by the recorder, for each copy so furnished.  the following amounts for the following number of voter registration records provided:

1.  For one to one hundred twenty-four thousand nine hundred ninety‑nine records, ninety-three dollars seventy-five cents plus $0.0005 per record.

2.  For one hundred twenty-five thousand to two hundred forty‑nine thousand nine hundred ninety‑nine records, one hundred fifty-six dollars twenty‑five cents plus $0.000375 per record.

3.  For two hundred fifty thousand to four hundred ninety‑nine thousand nine hundred ninety‑nine records, two hundred three dollars thirteen cents plus $0.00025 per record.

4.  For five hundred thousand to nine hundred ninety‑nine thousand nine hundred ninety‑nine records, two hundred sixty‑five dollars sixty‑three cents plus $0.000125 per record.

5.  For one million or more records, three hundred twenty‑eight dollars thirteen cents plus $0.0000625 per record.

F.  Any person in possession of a precinct register or list, in whole or part, or any reproduction of a precinct register or list, shall not permit the register or list to be used, bought, sold or otherwise transferred for any purpose except for uses otherwise authorized by this section.  A person in possession of information derived from voter registration forms or precinct registers shall not distribute, post or otherwise provide access to any portion of that information through the internet except as authorized by subsection I of this section.  Nothing in this section shall preclude public inspection of voter registration records at the office of the county recorder for the purposes prescribed by this section, except that the month and day of birth date, the social security number or any portion thereof, the driver license number or nonoperating identification license number, the Indian census number, the father's name or mother's maiden name, the state or country of birth and the records containing a voter's signature and a voter's e-mail address shall not be accessible or reproduced by any person other than the voter, by an authorized government official in the scope of the official's duties, for any purpose by an entity designated by the secretary of state as a voter registration agency pursuant to the national voter registration act of 1993 (P.L. 103‑31; 107 Stat. 77), for signature verification on petitions and candidate filings, for election purposes and for news gathering purposes by a person engaged in newspaper, radio, television or reportorial work, or connected with or employed by a newspaper, radio or television station or pursuant to a court order.  Notwithstanding any other law, a voter's e-mail address may not be released for any purpose.  A person who violates this subsection or subsection E of this section is guilty of a class 6 felony.

G.  The county recorder shall count the registered voters by political party by precinct, legislative district and congressional district as follows:

1.  In even numbered years, the county recorder shall count all persons who are registered to vote as of:

(a)  January 1.

(b)  March 1.

(c)  The last day on which a person may register to be eligible to vote in the next primary election.

(d)  The last day on which a person may register to be eligible to vote in the next general election.

(e)  The last day on which a person may register to be eligible to vote in the next presidential preference election.

2.  In odd numbered years, the county recorder shall count all persons who are registered to vote as of:

(a)  January 1.

(b)  April 1.

(c)  July 1.

(d)  October 1.

H.  The county recorder shall report the totals to the secretary of state as soon as is practicable following each of the dates prescribed in subsection G of this section.  The report shall include completed registration forms returned in accordance with section 16‑134, subsection B.  The county recorder shall also provide the report in a uniform electronic computer media format that shall be agreed on between the secretary of state and all county recorders.  The secretary of state shall then prepare a summary report for the state and shall maintain that report as a permanent record.

I.  The county recorder and the secretary of state shall protect access to voter registration information in an auditable format and method specified in the secretary of state's electronic voting system instructions and procedures manual that is adopted pursuant to section 16‑452.

J.  The secretary of state shall develop and administer a statewide database of voter registration information that contains the name and registration information of every registered voter in this state.  The statewide database is a matter of statewide concern and is not subject to modification or further regulation by a political subdivision.  The database shall include an identifier that is unique for each individual voter.  The database shall provide for access by voter registration officials and shall allow expedited entry of voter registration information after it is received by county recorders.  As a part of the statewide voter registration database, county recorders shall provide for the electronic transmittal of that information to the secretary of state on a real time basis.  The secretary of state shall provide for maintenance of the database, including provisions regarding removal of ineligible voters that are consistent with the national voter registration act of 1993 (P.L. 103‑31; 107 Stat. 77; 42 52 United States Code section 394 sections 20501 through 20511) and the help America vote act of 2002 (P.L. 107‑252; 116 Stat. 1666; 42 52 United States Code sections 15301 20901 through 15545 21145), provisions regarding removal of duplicate registrations and provisions to ensure that eligible voters are not removed in error.  For the purpose of maintaining compliance with the help America vote act of 2002, each county voter registration system is subject to approval by the secretary of state for compatibility with the statewide voter registration database system.

K.  Except as provided in subsection L of this section, for requests for the use of registration forms and access to information as provided in subsections E and F of this section, the county recorder shall receive and respond to requests regarding federal, state and county elections.

L.  Beginning January 1, 2008, recognized political parties shall request precinct lists and access to information as provided in subsections E and F of this section during the time periods prescribed in subsection C or D of this section and the county recorder shall receive and respond to those requests.  If the county recorder does not provide the requested materials within the applicable time prescribed for the county recorder pursuant to subsection C or D of this section, a recognized political party may request that the secretary of state provide precinct lists and access to information as provided in subsections E and F of this section for federal, state and county elections.  The secretary of state shall not provide access to precinct lists and information for recognized political parties unless the county recorder has failed or refused to provide the lists and materials as prescribed by this section.  The secretary of state may charge the county recorder a fee determined by rule for each name or record produced.

M.  For municipal registration information in those municipalities in which the county administers the municipal elections, county and state party chairmen shall request and obtain voter registration information and precinct lists from the city or town clerk during the time periods prescribed in subsection C or D of this section.  If the city or town clerk does not provide that information within the same time prescribed for county recorders pursuant to subsection C or D of this section, the county or state party chairman may request and obtain the information from the county recorder.  The county recorder shall provide the municipal voter registration and precinct lists within the time prescribed in subsection C or D of this section.

N.  The county recorders and the secretary of state shall not prohibit any person or entity prescribed in subsection C of this section from distributing a precinct list to any person or entity that is deemed to be using the precinct list in a lawful manner as prescribed in subsections E and F of this section. END_STATUTE

Sec. 3.  Section 16-315, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended effective from and after September 30, 2017, to read:

START_STATUTE16-315.  Form of petitions; registration of circulators

A.  The nomination petitions shall be in substantially the following form:

1.  Petitions shall be on paper eleven inches wide and eight and one‑half inches long.

2.  Petitions shall be headed by a caption stating the purpose of the petition, followed by the body of the petition stating the intent of the petitioners.

3.  There shall be ten lines spaced one-half of an inch apart and consecutively numbered one through ten.

4.  The signature portion of the petition shall be divided into columns headed by the following titles:

(a)  Signature.

(b)  Printed name.

(c)  Actual residence address, description of place of residence or Arizona post office box address, city or town.

(d)  Date of signing.

5.  A photograph of the candidate may appear on the nomination petition.

B.  The following shall appear on the petition:

Instructions for Circulators

1.  All petitions shall be signed by circulator.

2.  Circulator is not required to be a resident of this state but otherwise must be qualified to register to vote in this state and, if not a resident of this state, shall register as a circulator with the secretary of state.

3.  Circulator's name shall be typed or printed under the circulator's signature.

4.  Circulator's actual residence address or, if no street address, a description of residence location shall be included on the petition.

C.  The secretary of state shall prepare sample nomination petition forms and distribute such the forms to all election officers.

D.  Circulators who are not residents of this state must be registered as circulators with the secretary of state before circulating petitions.  The secretary of state shall provide for a method of receiving service of process for those petition circulators who register pursuant to this subsection.  The secretary of state shall establish in the instructions and procedures manual issued pursuant to section 16‑452 a procedure for registering circulators and receiving service of process.

E.  The secretary of state may authorize for statewide and legislative offices the creation, use and submission of petitions prescribed by this section in electronic form if those petitions provide for an appropriate method to verify signatures of petition circulators and signers.  The secretary of state may require use of a unique marking system for petition pages, including a bar code, a quick response code or another similar marking system. END_STATUTE

Sec. 4.  Section 16-341, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended effective from and after September 30, 2017, to read:

START_STATUTE16-341.  Nomination petition; method and time of filing; form; qualifications and number of petitioners required

A.  Any qualified elector who is not a registered member of a political party that is recognized pursuant to this title may be nominated as a candidate for public office otherwise than by primary election or by party committee pursuant to this section.

B.  This article shall not be used to place on the general election ballot the name of a political party that fails to meet the qualifications specified in section 16‑802 or 16‑804, or the name of any candidate representing such party or the name of a candidate who has filed a nomination petition in the immediately preceding primary election and has failed to qualify as the result of an insufficient number of valid signatures.

C.  A nomination petition stating the name of the office to be filled, the name and residence of the candidate and other information required by this section shall be filed with the same officer with whom primary nomination papers and petitions are required to be filed as prescribed in section 16‑311.  Except for candidates for the office of presidential elector filed pursuant to this section, the petition shall be filed not less than ninety nor more than one hundred twenty days before the primary election.  The petition shall be signed only by voters who have not signed the nomination petitions of a candidate for the office to be voted for at that primary election.

D.  The nomination petition shall be in substantially the following form:

The undersigned, qualified electors of __________ county, state of Arizona, do hereby nominate __________, who resides at __________ in the county of __________, as a candidate for the office of _______ at the general (or special, as the case may be) election to be held on the ________ day of _________, _____.

I hereby declare that I have not signed the nomination petitions of any candidate for the office to be voted for at this primary election, and I do hereby select the following designation under which name the said candidate shall be placed on the official ballot (here insert such designation not exceeding three words in length as the signers may select).

E.  The nomination petition shall conform as nearly as possible to the provisions relating to nomination petitions of candidates to be voted for at primary elections and shall be signed by at least the number of persons who are registered to vote determined by calculating three percent of the persons who are registered to vote of the state, county, subdivision or district for which the candidate is nominated who are not members of a political party that is qualified to be represented by an official party ballot at the next ensuing primary election and accorded representation on the general election ballot.

F.  The percentage of persons who are registered to vote necessary to sign the nomination petition shall be determined by the total number of registered voters from other than political parties that are qualified to be represented by an official party ballot at the next ensuing primary election and accorded representation on the general election ballot in the state, county, subdivision or district on March 1 of the year in which the general election is held.  Notwithstanding the method prescribed by subsection E of this section and this subsection for calculating the minimum number of signatures necessary, any person who is registered to vote in the state, county, subdivision or district for which the candidate is nominated is eligible to sign the nomination petition without regard to the signer's party affiliation.

G.  A nomination petition for any candidate may be circulated by a person who is not a resident of this state but who is otherwise eligible to register to vote in this state if that person registers as a circulator with the secretary of state before circulating petitions.  The nomination petition for the office of presidential elector shall include a group of names of candidates equal to the number of United States senators and representatives in Congress from this state instead of separate nomination petitions for each candidate for the office of presidential elector.  A valid signature on a petition containing a group of presidential electors candidates is counted as a signature for the nomination of each of the candidates.  The presidential candidate whom the candidates for presidential elector will represent shall designate in writing to the secretary of state the names of the candidates who will represent the presidential candidate before any signatures for the candidate can be accepted for filing.  A nomination petition for the office of presidential elector shall be filed not less than sixty nor more than ninety days before the general election.  The petition shall be signed only by qualified electors who have not signed the nomination petitions of a candidate for the office of presidential elector to be voted for at that election.

H.  The secretary of state shall require in the instructions and procedures manual issued pursuant to section 16‑452 that persons who circulate nomination petitions pursuant to this section and who are not residents of this state but who are otherwise eligible to register to vote in this state shall register as circulators with the office of the secretary of state before circulating petitions.  The secretary of state shall provide for a method of receiving service of process for those petition circulators who are registered.

I.  A person who files a nomination paper pursuant to this section for the office of president of the United States shall designate in writing to the secretary of state at the time of filing the name of the candidate's vice‑presidential running mate, the names of the presidential electors who will represent that candidate and a statement that is signed by the vice‑presidential running mate and the designated presidential electors and that indicates their consent to be designated.  A nomination paper for each presidential elector designated shall be filed with the candidate's nomination paper.  The number of presidential electors shall equal the number of United States senators and representatives in Congress from this state.

J.  A candidate who does not file a timely nomination petition that complies with this section is not eligible to have the candidate's name printed on the official ballot for that office.  The filing officer shall not accept the nomination paper of a candidate for state or local office unless the candidate provides or has provided all of the following:

1.  The financial disclosure statement as prescribed for candidates for that office.

2.  The declaration of qualification and eligibility as prescribed in section 16‑311.

K.  Except in cases where the liability is being appealed, the filing officer shall not accept the nomination paper of a candidate for state or local office if the person is liable for an aggregation of one thousand dollars or more in fines, penalties, late fees or administrative or civil judgments, including any interest or costs, in any combination, that have not been fully satisfied at the time of the attempted filing of the nomination paper and the liability arose from failure to comply with or enforcement of chapter 6 of this title.

L.  The secretary of state may authorize for statewide and legislative offices the creation, use and submission of petitions prescribed by this section in electronic form if those petitions provide for an appropriate method to verify signatures of petition circulators and signers.  The secretary of state may require use of a unique marking system for petition pages, including a bar code, a quick response code or another similar marking system. END_STATUTE

Sec. 5.  Emergency

This act is an emergency measure that is necessary to preserve the public peace, health or safety and is operative immediately as provided by law.


 

 

 

 

APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR MARCH 31, 2017.

 

FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE MARCH 31, 2017.