ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session

Majority Research Staff

Senate: JUDE DPA/SE 4-3-0-0 | Third Read 16-12-2-0

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

SB 1687: ESAs, returned monies, administrative costs

NOW: voter access; elections; primary date

Sponsor: Senator Hoffman, LD 15

Committee on Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

Overview

Adjusts the date on which primary elections are required to be held from the second to last Tuesday in July to the Tuesday before the last Monday in May. Changes the period before an election in which a nomination paper and petition must be filed. Amends the date basis by which the number of required nomination petition signatures is calculated. 

History

Any person desiring to become a candidate at a primary election for a political party and to have the person's name printed on the official ballot must be a qualified elector of the party and, not less than 120 nor more than 150 days before the primary election, must sign and file a nomination paper containing outlined information. Any person desiring to become a candidate at any nonpartisan election and to have the person's name printed on the official ballot must be at the time of filing a qualified elector of the county, city, town or district and, not less than 120 nor more than 150 days before the election, must sign and file a nomination paper containing outlined information (A.R.S. § 16-311).

Any person desiring to become a candidate at any election and to have the person's name printed on the official ballot must file, not less than 120 nor more than 150 days before the primary election, a nomination petition in addition to the required nomination paper (A.R.S. § 16-314). 

Currently, the basis of percentage of qualified signers required to sign a nomination petition for various offices, except for in cities, towns and school districts, must be the number of signers as determined from reported voter registration totals on January 2nd of the year in which the general election is held. In school districts or career technical education districts, the basis of percentage must be the total number of active registered voters in the school district, career technical education district or single member district, whichever applies. The total number of active registered voters for such districts must be calculated using reports from county recorders. The count that is reported on January 2nd of the year in which the general election is held must be the basis for the calculation of total voter registration for such districts (A.R.S. § 16-322).

Laws 2026, Chapter 1 adjusted the date of primary elections from the first Tuesday in August to the second to last Tuesday in July.

 

Provisions

1.   Requires, beginning in 2028 and later, primary and other applicable non-candidate elections to be held on the Tuesday before the last Monday in May, rather than the second to last Tuesday in July, in any year in which a general election or special election is held. (Sec. 1)

2.   Removes the third Tuesday in May as an allowable consolidated election date for non-candidate elections. (Sec. 2)

3.   Adjusts, beginning in 2028, the period in which a person desiring to become a candidate must sign and file a nomination paper and petition from between 120 and 150 days before the primary election to between 117 and 140 days before the primary election. (Sec. 4, 5, 7)

4.   Adjusts, beginning in 2028, the period before an election in which a person desiring to become a candidate at a nonpartisan election must sign and file a nomination paper from between 120 and 150 days before the election to between 117 and 140 days before the election. (Sec. 4)

5.   States that, beginning in 2028, the basis of percentage for calculating the required minimum number of qualified signers of nomination petitions must be the number of qualified signers as determined from voter registration totals as reported on October 1st of the year before the election is held, rather than as reported on January 2nd of the year of the general election. (Sec. 6, 7)

6.   States that if new boundaries are drawn for congressional or legislative districts subsequent to January 2nd of the year of a general election and before the first date for the filing of nomination petitions, the basis for determining the required number of nomination petition signatures is the number of qualified signers in the elective office or district that was effective on October 1st of the year before the year of a general election, rather than on January 2nd of the year of a general election. (Sec. 6)

7.   Makes technical changes. (Sec. 4, 5, 6)

8.   Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 2, 3, 4, 5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Initials GG                 SB 1687

3/16/2026        Page 0 Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections

 

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