This bill proposes to amend current statutes regarding local government referendum petitions by adding a new section, 19-144, to the Arizona Revised Statutes. Under the new provisions, a person or organization that files a referendum petition with a city or town clerk will have the ability to withdraw that petition by submitting a written notice of withdrawal at any time before the measure qualifies for the ballot. Additionally, the bill stipulates that this withdrawal process will apply retroactively to all notices filed after December 31, 2025, regardless of their acceptance status, and prohibits any votes for referendums with filed withdrawal notices from being counted.

Furthermore, the bill includes a provision to repeal section 19-144 after July 31, 2027, effectively limiting the duration of these withdrawal procedures. It is also designated as an emergency measure, allowing it to take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature. The current law remains unchanged except for the insertion of these new provisions and the repeal of the existing withdrawal procedures.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 41-2533, 41-2535, 41-2573, 41-2532, 41-2513, 41-2578, 41-2579, 41-2581, 41-2534
House Engrossed Version: 41-2533, 41-2535, 41-2573, 41-2532, 41-2513, 41-2578, 41-2579, 41-2581, 41-2534
Senate Engrossed Version: 19-144