Assigned to GOV                                                                                                              AS PASSED BY COW

 


 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session

 

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2703

 

auditor general; audits; county elections

(NOW: secure online signature collection)

 

Purpose

Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to continue operating and maintain full functionality and availability of the secure online portal and related systems for online signature collection and submittal of qualifying contributions (E-Qual), except to temporarily remove, close down or limit access to E-Qual for the purposes of updating the portal or system.

Background

The SOS must provide E-Qual for qualified electors to sign nomination petitions for candidates for statewide, legislative, municipal, county and federal office or precinct committeemen and for qualified electors to submit a five-dollar contribution qualification form for Clean Elections candidates for statewide or legislative office. A candidate for statewide or legislative office may collect up to the full number of required signatures and a candidate for county or municipal office or precinct committeemen may collect up to the minimum number of required signatures through E-Qual (A.R.S. §§ 16-316; 16-317; and 16-318).

According to the 2022 Running for Office Handbook published by the SOS, E-Qual for congressional and legislative candidates will be unavailable beginning in early March 2022 to allow counties to import the 2022 district information into the statewide voter registration database (SOS).

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

Provisions

1.   Requires the SOS to continue operating and maintain full functionality and availability of
E-Qual and related systems for online signature collection and submittal of qualifying contributions for candidates for federal, statewide, legislative, city, town or county office and the office of precinct committeeman.

2.   Exempts the SOS from the E-Qual operation and maintenance requirement to temporarily remove, close down or limit access to E-Qual as necessary for the purposes of updating the portal or system.

3.   Requires the SOS to provide notice to candidates that E-Qual will be unavailable and provide an estimate of how long E-Qual will be unavailable before temporarily removing, closing down or limiting access to E-Qual for updates.

4.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole

1.   Allows the SOS to temporarily remove, close down or limit access to E-Qual as necessary for the purposes of updating the portal or system.

2.   Requires the SOS to provide notice to candidates that E-Qual will be unavailable and provide an estimate of how long E-Qual will be unavailable before temporarily removing, closing down or limiting access to E-Qual for updates.

3.   Makes technical and conforming changes.

House Action                                                           Senate Action

GE                   2/7/22        DPA/SE    7-6-0-0         GOV               3/21/22      DP       4-3-0

3rd Read          2/22/22                        31-28-1

(W/O emergency)

Prepared by Senate Research

April 18, 2022

MH/slp