The proposed bill, SB1158, seeks to amend Arizona law regarding the qualifications for candidates running for U.S. President. Under the new provisions, a candidate cannot be excluded or removed from the general election ballot based on a claimed violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution if they meet specific criteria. These criteria include being the official nominee of a political party's national convention, a qualified independent candidate, or a qualified write-in candidate.

This bill introduces explicit protections for presidential candidates against disqualification, which is not currently outlined in the existing law. The current law does not address the exclusion of candidates based on the Fourteenth Amendment, thus the bill aims to clarify and strengthen the eligibility of candidates for the presidential ballot in Arizona.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-212
Senate Engrossed Version: 16-212