The proposed bill would update current Arizona election statutes by eliminating provisions related to emergency voting centers and establishing new methods for voters to return their early ballots. Specifically, it would repeal provisions allowing the Board of Supervisors to authorize County Recorders to use emergency voting centers and require voters to return their ballots by mailing them to the County Recorder by 7:00 PM on election day, delivering them to the County Recorder's office by the same deadline, or depositing them at any voting location in the county by 7:00 PM on the Friday before election day. Additionally, the bill would mandate that voters at early voting locations present valid identification, sign an affidavit, mark their ballot privately, and return it to election officials. Moreover, the bill would allow for on-site tabulation of early ballots at any time during the early voting period, including the Saturday and Monday before the election, and remove provisions that allow school principals to deny requests to serve as polling places, while clarifying that schools may serve as any voting location when requested by election officials. These changes aim to streamline the voting process, enhance the efficiency of early ballot tabulation, and ensure compliance with identification and signature verification requirements, ultimately improving public confidence in the electoral process.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-411, 16-542, 16-547, 16-548, 16-551, 16-552, 16-579.01, 16-579.02, 16-544, 16-579, 16-452, 16-515, 16-204, 16-804, 99-410, 16-153, 16-545, 16-409, 16-1005, 16-531, 16-622, 16-591, 16-594, 16-672, 16-584