REFERENCE TITLE: presidential electors; presidential candidates; vacancy

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1141

Introduced by

Senator Bolick

AN ACT

amending section 16-212, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to presidential electors.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 16-212, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-212. Election of presidential electors; electoral college votes; vacancy; replacement

A. On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1956, and quadrennially thereafter, there shall be elected a number of presidential electors equal to the number of United States senators and representatives in Congress from this state.

B. After the secretary of state issues the statewide canvass containing the results of a presidential election, the presidential electors of this state shall cast their electoral college votes for the candidate for president and the candidate for vice president who jointly received the highest number of votes in this state as prescribed in the canvass, except If a winning candidate for president or vice president in this state dies or withdraws before the date on which the presidential electors are scheduled to meet and cast their votes, the presidential electors shall cast their electoral college votes for the successor candidate for that office who is nominated by the deceased or withdrawn candidate's POLITICAL party as prescribed by that political party's rules.

C. A presidential elector who knowingly refuses to cast that elector's electoral college vote as prescribed in subsection B of this section is no longer eligible to hold the office of presidential elector and that office is deemed and declared vacant by operation of law.  If a PRESIDENTIAL elector is not present to vote at the meeting of this state's presidential electors, that presidential elector's office is also deemed vacant.  To fill any vacancy in the office of presidential elector, the chairperson of the state committee of the political party represented by that elector shall appoint a person who is otherwise qualified to be a presidential elector. The replacement presidential elector shall cast the elector's electoral college vote as prescribed by this section.  Notwithstanding section 16-344 and any other statute, the nomination paper and affidavit of qualification of the replacement presidential elector may be completed and filed with the secretary of state as soon as is practicable after the presidential elector's appointment.END_STATUTE