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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
early ballots; registration signatures; curing
Purpose
Stipulates that an elector may only receive an early ballot if the elector's voter registration record contains a handwritten signature from within the last five years preceding the mailing of the ballot. Expands the list of entities that may receive the list of voters whose signatures are missing or mismatched.
Background
Any election called pursuant to Arizona law must provide for early voting, including accessible voting by U.S. mail for persons who are blind or have a visual impairment. Any qualified elector may vote by early ballot by making a request for a one-time early ballot as provided by statute or by requesting to be on the Active Early Voter List which allows a voter to vote by early mail ballot until the voter fails to vote an early ballot for two consecutive election cycles (A.R.S. §§ 16-541 and 16-544).
Within 93 days before any election called pursuant to Arizona law, an elector may make a verbal or signed request to the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections for an official early ballot. When making the request, the elector must provide their name, address, date of birth and state or country of birth or other information verifying that the elector's voter registration information confirms the elector's identity. An elector may make a request to receive an early ballot by mail up until 5:00 p.m. on the eleventh day preceding the election (A.R.S. § 16-542).
On receipt of an envelope containing an early ballot and the mail affidavit, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must compare the signature on the envelope with the signature of the elector contained in the elector's registration record. If the signature is inconsistent with the elector's signature on the elector's registration record, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must make reasonable efforts to contact the voter and allow for the correction or the confirmation of the signature. Beginning with the first missing or mismatched signature that is identified during the period of early voting, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections must, on a daily basis, submit a list of all voters whose signatures need curing to the political parties qualified for continued representation on the ballot (A.R.S. § 16-550).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Stipulates that the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections may mail an early ballot to an elector only if the elector's voter registration record contains a handwritten signature that was obtained within the five years immediately preceding the mailing of the early ballot.
2. Stipulates that the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections may compare the signature on an early ballot envelope with the elector's voter registration record only if the elector's voter registration record contains a handwritten signature that was obtained within the five years immediately preceding the mailing of the early ballot.
3. Allows any candidate, precinct committeeman or third-party organization to make a written request for the daily list of voters with missing or mismatched signatures, for the purpose of assisting voters in curing signatures.
4. Makes technical changes.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 6, 2026
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