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Chapter 0034 - 572R - H Ver of HB2006
House Engrossed
sample ballots;
mailing date
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
CHAPTER 34
HOUSE BILL 2006
AN
ACT
amending sections 16-461 and 16-510,
Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the conduct of elections.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 16-461, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
16-461.
Sample primary election ballots; submission to party chairmen for
examination; preparation, printing and distribution of ballot
A. At least forty-five days before a primary
election, the officer in charge of that election shall:
1. Prepare a proof of a sample ballot.
2. Submit the sample ballot proof of each party to
the county chairman or in city or town primaries to the city or town chairman.
3. Mail a sample ballot proof to each candidate for
whom a nomination paper and petitions have been filed.
B. Within two calendar days after receipt of the
sample ballot, the county chairman of each political party and any candidate in
that election who has submitted and confirmed an email address shall suggest to
the election officer any change the chairman or candidate considers should be
made in the chairman's or candidate's party ballot, and if on examination the
election officer finds an error or omission on the ballot, the officer shall
correct it. The election officer shall print and distribute the sample
ballots as required by law, shall maintain a copy of each sample ballot and
shall post a notice indicating that sample ballots are available on
request. The official sample ballot shall be printed on colored
paper or white paper with a different colored stripe for each party that is
represented on that ballot. For voters who are not registered with a
party that is entitled to continued representation on the ballot pursuant to
section 16-804, the election officer may print and distribute the
required sample ballots in an alternative format, including a reduced size
format.
C. Not later than forty days before a primary
election, the county chairman of a political party may request one sample
primary election ballot of the chairman's party for each election precinct.
D. The board of supervisors shall have printed
mailer-type sample ballots for a primary election and shall mail at least
eleven
fourteen
days before the
election
, or at least eleven days before the election in
counties that contain a United States postal service processing and
distribution center,
one sample ballot of a political party to each
household containing a registered voter of that political party unless that
registered voter is on the active early voting list established pursuant to
section 16-544. Each sample ballot shall contain the following
statement:� "This is a sample ballot and cannot be used as an official
ballot under any circumstances". A certified claim shall be
presented to the secretary of state by the board of supervisors for the actual
cost of printing, labeling and postage of each sample ballot actually mailed,
and the secretary of state shall direct payment of the authenticated claim from
funds of the secretary of state's office.
the
secretary of state shall annually determine and publish a list of counties that
do not contain a United States postal service processing and distribution
center based on information provided by the United States postal service.
E. For city and town elections, the governing body
of a city or town may have printed mailer-type sample ballots for a
primary election.� If the city or town has printed such sample ballots, the
city or town shall provide for the distribution of such ballots and shall bear
the expense of printing and distributing such sample ballots.
F. The return address on the mailer-type
sample ballots
shall
may
not contain
the name of an appointed or elected public officer
,
nor may
and
the name of an appointed or
elected public officer
may not
be used to indicate who
produced the sample ballot.
G. The great seal of the state of Arizona shall be
imprinted along with the words "official voting materials" on the
mailing face of each sample ballot. In county, city or town
elections the seal of such jurisdiction shall be substituted for the state
seal.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Section 16-510, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
16-510.
Sample ballots; preparation and distribution
A. Before printing the sample ballots for the
general election the board of supervisors shall send to each candidate whose
name did not appear on the preceding primary election ballot and to the county
chairperson of each political party a ballot proof of the sample ballot for the
candidate's and chairperson's review.� Within two calendar days after receipt
of the sample ballot, those candidates and the county chairperson of each
political party shall suggest to the election officer any change the candidate
or chairperson considers should be made to the ballot, and if on examination
the election officer finds an error or omission on the ballot, the officer
shall correct the error or omission.
B. The board of supervisors shall print and
distribute, for the information of voters at each polling place, a number of
sample ballots as it deems necessary.
C. The board of supervisors shall have printed
mailer-type sample ballots for a general election and shall mail at least
eleven
fourteen
days before the
election
, or at least eleven days before the election in
counties that contain a United States postal service processing and
distribution center,
one such sample ballot to each household in the
county containing a registered voter unless that registered voter is on the
active early voting list established pursuant to section 16-544.� Each
sample ballot shall contain the following statement:� "This is a sample
ballot and cannot be used as an official ballot under any
circumstances". A certified claim shall be presented to the
secretary of state by the board of supervisors for the actual cost of printing,
labeling and postage of each sample ballot actually mailed, and the secretary
of state shall direct payment of the authenticated claim from funds of the
secretary of state's office.
the secretary of state
shall annually determine and publish a list of counties that do not contain a
United States postal service processing and distribution center based on
information provided by the United States postal service.
D. For city and town elections, the governing body
of a city or town may have printed mailer-type sample ballots for a
general election. If the city or town has printed such sample
ballots, the city or town shall provide for the distribution of such ballots
and shall bear the expense of printing and distributing such sample ballots.
E. For special district elections, the governing
body of a special district may have printed mailer-type sample
ballots. If the special district has printed such sample ballots,
the special district shall provide for the distribution of such ballots and
shall bear the expense of printing and distributing such sample ballots.
END_STATUTE
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 13, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE APRIL 13, 2026.