If enacted, this bill would amend current statutes regarding school elections in Arizona by transferring the responsibility for conducting these elections from the county school superintendent to the county recorder and the county officer in charge of elections. Specifically, the bill mandates that the county recorder will assume and maintain the voter registration rolls for all school elections, and that these elections will be conducted in the same manner as county elections, as outlined in titles 16 and 19 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. Additionally, the county officer in charge of elections will serve as the filing officer for all school elections.

The bill also includes technical and conforming changes to existing laws, such as updating the language to include school districts in the definitions and requirements for candidates in elections. It removes the previous requirement for nomination papers for school district candidates to be filed with the county school superintendent, instead directing that they be filed with the county elections officer. The changes are set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and the legislative council staff is tasked with preparing further proposed legislation to ensure consistency with these updates in the Arizona Revised Statutes.

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