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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
citizenship; identification; contributions; early voting.
Purpose
Subject to voter approval, constitutionally requires the early voting period to end no later than 7:00 p.m. on the Friday before election day and prohibits contributions to candidates or ballot measures from foreign persons or foreign corporations.
Background
In order to be eligible to vote in
Arizona, a person must be a citizen of the United States (A.R.S. § 16-101; Ariz. Const. art. 7, § 2). A person is presumed to be properly registered
to vote on completion of a registration form that contains certain identifying
information and a checkmark or other appropriate indicator that the person
answered "yes" to the citizenship question (A.R.S.
§ 16-121.01). A registrant must
additionally provide documentary proof of citizenship to be registered as a
full-ballot voter who is entitled to vote for federal, state, county, and local
races and ballot measures. Acceptable documentary proof of citizenship
includes: 1) the registrant's driver license or nonoperating identification
license number; 2) the registrant's birth certificate; 3) a copy of the
registrant's U.S. passport; 4) the registrant's U.S. naturalization documents
or certificate of naturalization number; 5) the applicant's federal Bureau of
Indian Affairs or tribal treaty card number or tribal enrollment number; or 6)
other documents or methods of proof established pursuant to the federal Immigration
Reform and Control Act of 1986 (A.R.S. § 16-166). In order to receive a
ballot at a polling location an elector must present: 1) a valid form of
identification bearing their photograph, name and address; 2) two different
items containing the name and address of the elector that is the same name and
address in the precinct register; or 3) a valid form of identification that does not appear to be the
same address as in the precinct register and one item containing the name and
address of the elector that is the same as in the precinct register (A.R.S.
§ 16-579).
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 (AEVL) 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). Statute requires early voters to secure their ballot in a provided envelope, together with the prescribed affidavit, and either deliver or mail the secured ballot to the appropriate county recorder or deposit the secured ballot at any polling place in the county. In order to be counted and valid, the ballot must be received by the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections no later than 7:00 p.m. on election day, or deposited by the voter or the voter's agent at any polling place in the county no later than 7:00 p.m. on election day (A.R.S. § 16-548). A voter may also choose to vote early in-person at any on-site early voting location up to 27 days before the election and until 7:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election (A.R.S. § 16-542).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the early voting period to end no later than 7:00 p.m. on the Friday before election day.
2. Prohibits votes from being cast or accepted after the poll closing times on general election day.
3. Requires all qualified electors who have provided documented proof of citizenship to be offered an opportunity to receive a mail-in ballot, which may only be provided after an affirmative request from the voter that confirms a specific mail address.
4. Requires any qualified elector to make a request for a mail-in ballot prior to each biennial general election.
5. Stipulates that all qualified electors have the right to vote in-person on election day at conveniently located polling places.
6. States that only U.S. citizens are eligible to register and vote once for each available office or ballot measure in any public election in Arizona.
7. Requires all electors to provide a government issued identification concurrent with casting a ballot.
8. Requires acceptable identification to be made available to electors free of charge.
9. Prohibits contributions from any foreign person or foreign corporation to any Arizona candidate or ballot measure campaign.
10. States that the provisions of this act are severable.
11. Requires the Secretary of State to submit the proposition to the voters at the next general election.
12. Becomes effective if approved by the voters and on proclamation of the Governor.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 16, 2026
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