The proposed bill amends sections 19-121.04 and 19-122 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, focusing on the processes surrounding initiatives and referendums. Key changes include the removal of language that previously allowed for the subtraction of ineligible signatures identified by county recorders, streamlining the process for determining the validity of signatures. The bill specifies that after determining the percentage of invalid signatures from a random sample, a similar percentage will be applied to the remaining signatures, thus simplifying the calculation process.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new requirement that any legal action contesting the validity of an initiative or referendum based on the actions of the secretary of state must be filed within five calendar days. Importantly, it clarifies that such actions cannot challenge individual petition signatures and cannot be consolidated with challenges to the actions of the secretary of state or a county. This separation aims to streamline legal proceedings and ensure that challenges to signature validity are handled distinctly from challenges to the administrative actions of election officials.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 19-121.04, 19-122, 19-121.01, 19-121.02