ARIZONA STATE SENATE

MICHAEL HANS

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

DATE:            February 11, 2022

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to S.B. 1476, relating to ballots; identification

Purpose

Requires each ballot in an election to be consecutively numbered with a unique number. Requires ballots to be accounted for in a chain of custody document or log.

Background

A county board of supervisors (county BOS) must provide each polling place with a sufficient number of voting booths for voters to mark ballots and must provide voting or marking devices, voting booths, ballots, early ballots, ballot boxes and other required supplies. A county BOS must prepare and provide ballots containing the names of all persons whose certificates of nomination have been filed (A.R.S. §§ 16-405 and 16-503). A county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must maintain records that record the chain of custody for all election equipment and ballots during early voting through the completion of provisional voting tabulation (A.R.S. § 16-621).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires all ballots prepared for an election to be numbered consecutively with a unique number beginning with the number 1.

2. Requires ballots to be accounted for in a chain of custody document or other form of log beginning when the ballot is printed and continuing through post-tabulation storage.

3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.