The bill SB1265 mandates that in any election held in Arizona, the candidate receiving the highest number of legal votes must be declared elected. It also prohibits the use of voting methods or nomination processes that allow voters to rank candidates, select more candidates than can be elected, or involve multiple rounds of tabulation that eliminate candidates or redistribute votes.

This legislation aims to simplify the voting process by ensuring that only the candidate with the most votes is elected, thereby eliminating complex voting systems that could lead to confusion or manipulation. The bill's provisions are a direct response to previous voting methods that allowed for candidate ranking and elimination, which the Governor previously vetoed in another bill.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-605
Senate Engrossed Version: 16-605