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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
juror summons; election worker option
Purpose
Allows the jury commissioner to give a qualified juror the option to serve as a temporary election worker in the appropriate county in place of fulfilling a jury service obligation.
Background
All qualified citizens have an obligation to serve on a jury when summoned unless excused. Courts summon prospective jurors through a jury commissioner or jury manager, who determines the number of persons to be called for jury service and issues summonses by mail, telephone or personal service. A person who fails to appear after proper notice may be resummoned and may be subject to penalties if the person fails to respond to a second summons (A.R.S. §§ 21-101 and 21-331).
A prospective juror may be temporarily excused from service if a judge or jury commissioner finds specific statutory grounds, including mental or physical incapacity, inability to understand English, undue or extreme physical or financial hardship, employment as a law enforcement or correctional officer, grand jury service within the last four years or other good cause shown. A person's jury service obligation is considered fulfilled by serving on a trial until excused, appearing and not being assigned to a trial, serving though jury selection, complying with call-in requirements over a specified period or standing ready to serve as directed by the court (A.R.S. §§ 21-202 and 21-332).
The county
officer in charge of elections appoints election board members for each polling
place or voting location. Election boards are composed of inspectors, marshals,
judges and clerks and must reflect political party representation requirements.
Election board members must be qualified electors of Arizona, meet eligibility
standards established for election service and are responsible for conducting
election-day operations, including opening and closing polling places,
verifying voter eligibility, issuing ballots, maintaining order at voting
locations, processing provisional ballots and ensuring compliance with election
procedures (A.R.S. §§ 16-531
and
16-532).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
2. Requires the jury commissioner to submit the names and contact information of prospective jurors who express interest in serving as temporary election workers to the county officer in charge of elections no later than 90 days before the general election.
3. Requires the county officer in charge of elections to process the names of prospective temporary elections workers in the same manner as election board appointments and inform the jury commissioner of prospective jurors who intend to fulfill their jury service obligation by serving as a temporary election worker.
4. Requires the county officer in charge of elections, after receiving the names and contact information of prospective jurors, to determine whether those persons are:
a) qualified to serve as election board workers;
b) ineligible to serve as otherwise provided by law; or
c) unwilling to serve at the location or in the position designated by the officer in charge of elections.
5. Requires, on completion of the election and confirmation that a temporary election board worker completed their service in that role, the county officer in charge of elections to notify the jury commissioner that the temporary election board worker's duties were completed.
6. Adds the completion of service as a temporary election board worker to the list of actions that constitute fulfillment of a jury service obligation.
7. Allows a prospective juror to be excused from service as a juror if the prospective juror provides proof, from the county that employed the prospective juror, that the prospective juror served as an election board worker within 180 days preceding receipt of the jury summons.
8. Allows prospective temporary election workers to receive all, or some, of the required training via electronic means, at the discretion of the county officer in charge of elections.
9. Makes technical changes.
10. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 12, 2026
ZD/MY/ci