This bill proposes to amend the Arizona Revised Statutes by adding new sections 16-323 and 16-324, which outline updated procedures for verifying candidate petition signatures. Under the new law, filing officers are required to randomly select five percent of the total signatures for verification within twenty days after the filing deadline. The process includes specific guidelines for substituting blank signature lines and mandates that the filing officer clearly mark and transmit copies of the selected signature sheets to the county recorders for verification.

Additionally, the bill establishes a timeline for county recorders to disqualify signatures based on specific criteria, such as missing information or illegibility, within fifteen days of receiving the signature sheets. The county recorder must also certify the disqualified signatures and return the facsimile signature sheets to the filing officer, while notifying the candidate committee of the results. These updates aim to enhance the transparency and efficiency of the signature verification process for candidate nominations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-323, 16-324