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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
voter registration status; inactive
Purpose
Allows county recorders to include additional voter status indications in precinct registers, signature rosters and electronic pollbooks, including not registered, suspense, not eligible and canceled.
Background
If a county recorder receives information indicating a change to an elector's address, the county recorder must send a notice to the elector at the address that appears in the general county register or to the forwarding address provided by the U.S. Postal Service. The notice must include an internet address that the elector may use to revise the voter registration or a voter registration form and a statement that if the elector does not complete and return a new registration form with the elector's current information or update the registration online within 35 days, the elector's registration status will be changed to inactive.
County recorders maintain an inactive voter list with the names of electors who are removed from the general register for failure to update the elector's voter registration information within two general election cycles. The inactive voter list is maintained for four years or through the date of the second general election with a federal office following the date of the notice from the county recorder. The county recorder must cancel the registration of a voter on the inactive voter list if the elector does not vote in an election during the period commencing the date of the notice for two general election cycles (A.R.S. §§ 16-165 and 16-166).
By election day, the county recorder must provide each precinct with the names of electors on the inactive voter list. If a person who appears at a polling place is not on the precinct register, an election official must determine whether the person is on the inactive voter list. If the person is on the inactive voter list and continues to reside at the address indicated on the inactive voter list, then the person may vote at the polling place. If the person resides at a new address that is different than indicated, the person must vote at the polling place for the new address (A.R.S. § 16-583).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows county recorders to include additional voter status indications in precinct registers, signature rosters and electronic pollbooks, including not registered, suspense, not eligible and canceled.
2. States that the not registered status is for a registrant who submitted a state voter registration form without satisfactory evidence of citizenship and the county recorder has not found satisfactory evidence of citizenship for that registrant through governmental databases, and the county recorder has mailed notice to that registrant informing them that satisfactory evidence is required for registration.
3. States that the suspense status is for a registrant who:
a) submitted a voter registration form that was incomplete for reasons other than the failure to provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship or who submitted a voter registration form with an invalid residence address, and who did not timely respond to the county recorder's request for information; or
b) is not currently 18 years old but who will be by the next general election, in which case they must be moved to active status by their 18th birthday.
4. States that the not eligible status is for a registrant who:
a) will not be 18 years old by the next general election and who therefore are ineligible to be registered to vote; or
b) has a nonoperating identification license or a citizenship or immigration number that indicates noncitizenship, and to whom the county recorder has mailed a notice informing the registrant that satisfactory evidence of citizenship is needed and is waiting for a response from the registrant.
5. States that the canceled status is for a registrant who:
a) has died;
b) is convicted of a felony and whose civil rights have not been restored;
c) is declared incapacitated;
d) moves out of the jurisdiction;
e) self-reported as a noncitizen or nonresident of the jurisdiction on a jury duty questionnaire;
f) requested cancellation; or
g) is on inactive status for a period of four years or through the date of the second general election for federal office as prescribed.
6. Specifies that county recorders must provide precincts with the names of electors on the inactive voter list by way of a precinct register, a signature roster or an electronic pollbook.
7. Applies, to polling places as well as other voting locations, existing procedures for determining whether persons who are not on the precinct register and who appear at a polling place are eligible to vote and where they should vote.
8. Makes technical and conforming changes.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
FMAE 2/18/26 DPA 5-2-0-0
3rd Read 3/2/26 31-25-3-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 13, 2026
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