The proposed bill would update current Arizona election statutes by introducing new requirements for ballot management. Specifically, it mandates that all ballots, except provisional ones, be uniquely numbered or prenumbered in batches, with a clear connection to specific voting locations. The distribution of these ballots must be nonsequential to protect ballot secrecy, and a publicly accessible master log must be maintained to track the range of prenumbered ballots used in each election. Additionally, the officer in charge of elections is required to keep a count of all physical ballots and publish this information on the county's website.

Moreover, the bill enhances transparency and accuracy in election audits by establishing a detailed process for hand counts and manual audits of early ballots, including conditions for repeating counts based on discrepancies. It prohibits the creation of databases linking voters to their ballots and restricts the involuntary disclosure of unique identifiers. The county recorder must also post early ballot category numbers online within two days of issuance. To support these updates, the bill allocates $6,000,000 to counties for compliance with the new regulations, aiming to strengthen the integrity of the election process in Arizona.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-502, 16-602, 16-663, 16-341, 19-125, 16-400, 16-452, 16-621, 16-248