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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
elections; canvass; certification; acknowledgment
Purpose
Requires a governing body holding an election to acknowledge the canvass of the election without prejudice and the officers who conduct an election and tabulate the ballots to certify, under oath, the accuracy of the election and results of the tabulation to the governing body.
Background
A governing body holding an election must meet and canvass the election as prescribed, including: 1) by the second Monday after the primary election or the third Thursday after the general election, for the county board of supervisors (BOS); 2) by the third Thursday after the primary election or the third Monday after the general election, for the Secretary of State (SOS); and 3) between 6 and 20 days following the election, for the governing body of a city, town or special district. When the result of a canvass is determined, a statement designated as the official canvass must be entered in the election district's official record and the certified permanent copy of the official canvass for all offices and ballot measures, as outlined, must be mailed immediately to the SOS to maintain and preserve the official canvass as a permanent public record. The certified permanent copy of the official canvass for all offices and ballot measures in a city or town election must be filed with the appropriate city or town clerk, or for a special district election, with the clerk of the county BOS (A.R.S. §§ 16-642 and 16-646).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
2. Specifies that a governing body holding an election must acknowledge the canvass of the election without prejudice.
3. Requires the acknowledgement of the canvass of the election without prejudice to be postponed from day to day until all returns are received from the officers who conducted and certified the results of the election or until six postponements have been made.
4. Adds a copy of the sworn statements of the election officers who conducted the election and tabulated the ballots to the list of information shown in the official canvass.
5. Makes technical and conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Requires the officer who conducts an election and the officer who tabulates the ballots for the election to certify, under oath to governing body, the accuracy of the election and results of the tabulation.
2. Includes the sworn statements of the election officers who conducted the election and tabulated the ballots in the official canvass.
3. Postpones the acknowledgement without prejudice of the election from day to day until all returns are received from the election officers who conducted and certified the election or until six postponements have been made.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
JUDE 1/14/26 DP 4-3-1
Prepared by Senate Research
February 23, 2026
ZD/KS/ci