This bill proposes significant updates to the current statutes regarding school elections in Arizona. Under the new provisions, the county recorder will be responsible for maintaining voter registration rolls for all school elections, and both the county recorder and the county officer in charge of elections will conduct these elections in the same manner as county elections. Additionally, the county officer in charge of elections will serve as the filing officer for all school elections, replacing the current requirement for the county school superintendent to handle this role.

The bill also includes technical and conforming changes to existing statutes, such as updating the language to include school districts in the definitions and requirements for candidates in elections. Specifically, it amends the nomination process to ensure that candidates for school district offices file their nomination papers with the county officer rather than the county school superintendent. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2026, and the legislative council staff is tasked with preparing further conforming legislation for the subsequent legislative session.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-408, 16-311
House Engrossed Version: 15-408, 16-311