presidential electors; presidential candidates; vacancy

Plain English Breakdown

The bill amends A.R.S. §16-212 but does not define the exact process for how a party nominates a successor, only that they must do so per their rules.

Rules for Presidential Electors if a Candidate Cannot Serve

This law requires Arizona's presidential electors to vote for a replacement candidate chosen by their party if the winning President or Vice President nominee dies, withdraws, or becomes incapacitated before casting votes.

What This Bill Does

• Requires electors to cast votes for a successor nominated by the political party of the winning candidate if that candidate dies, withdraws, or becomes incapacitated before the meeting date.
• Removes eligibility from any presidential elector who knowingly refuses to cast their vote as required by law and declares their office vacant.
• Declares an elector's office vacant if they are not present at the meeting where votes are cast.
• Allows state party chairs to appoint a qualified replacement for any vacated elector position.

Who It Names or Affects

• Presidential electors in Arizona
• State political parties and their chairpersons

Terms To Know

Presidential Elector

A person chosen to cast an official vote for President or Vice President in the Electoral College.

Incapacitated

Unable to perform duties due to physical or mental illness or injury, as added by this bill's amendments.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify how a political party must choose its successor candidate, only that they must nominate one according to their own rules.
• The effective date is listed generally without a specific calendar day in the provided text.

Official Summary Text

SB1141 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
FED��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1141

presidential electors; presidential candidates; vacancy

Purpose

Requires presidential electors to cast electoral college votes for a
successor candidate who is nominated by the party of the winning candidate in
the event of a winning candidate for U.S. President or U.S. Vice President becoming
incapacitated, dying or withdrawing before the date that the presidential
electors meet.

Background

After the Secretary of State (SOS) issues the statewide canvass
containing the results of a presidential election, the presidential electors of
the state must cast their electoral college votes for the candidate for U.S. President
and the candidate for U.S. Vice President who jointly received the highest
number of votes in the state as prescribed by statute. A presidential elector
who knowingly refuses to cast the elector's electoral college vote is no longer
eligible to hold the office of presidential elector and the office is deemed
vacant. The chairperson of the state committee of the political party
represented by the elector must appoint a person who is otherwise qualified to
be a presidential elector. The replacement presidential elector must cast the
elector's electoral college vote as outlined. The nomination and affidavit of
qualification for the replacement presidential elector may be completed and
filed with the SOS as soon as practicable after the elector's appointment (
A.R.S.
� 16-212
).

There is no
anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.

Provisions

1.

Requires presidential electors to cast electoral college votes for an
appropriate successor candidate who is properly nominated by the party of the
winning candidate in the event of a winning candidate for U.S. President or
Vice President becoming incapacitated, dying or withdrawing before the date
that presidential electors are scheduled to meet.

2.

Specifies
that a presidential elector who refuses to cast that elector's electoral
college vote, rather than knowingly refuses, is no longer eligible to hold the
office of presidential elector.

3.

Deems
a presidential elector's office vacant if the elector is not present to vote at
the meeting of electors.

4.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by
Committee of the Whole

�

Adds becoming incapacitated to the events that require
presidential electors to cast electoral college votes for a successor
candidate.

Senate Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

February 23, 2026

AN/TR/ci

Current Bill Text

SB1141 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

presidential
electors; presidential candidates; vacancy

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1141

AN
ACT

amending section 16-212, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to presidential electors.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section
1.
1. Section
16-212, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-212.

Election of presidential electors; electoral college votes;
vacancy; replacement

A. On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November, 1956, and quadrennially thereafter, there shall be elected a number
of presidential electors equal to the number of United States senators and
representatives in Congress from this state.

B. After the secretary of state issues the statewide
canvass containing the results of a presidential election, the presidential
electors of this state shall cast their electoral college votes for the
candidate for president and the candidate for vice president who jointly
received the highest number of votes in this state as prescribed in the canvass
, except If a winning candidate for president or vice president in
this state dies
, withdraws
or
becomes incapacitated before the date on which the presidential electors are
scheduled to meet and cast their votes, the presidential electors shall cast
their electoral college votes for the successor candidate for that office who
is nominated by the deceased or withdrawn candidate's POLITICAL party as
prescribed by that political party's rules
.

C. A presidential elector who
knowingly

refuses to cast that elector's electoral college vote as prescribed in
subsection B of this section is no longer eligible to hold the office of
presidential elector and that office is deemed and declared vacant by operation
of law.�
If a PRESIDENTIAL elector is not present to vote at the
meeting of this state's presidential electors, that presidential elector's
office is also deemed vacant.� To fill any vacancy in the office of
presidential elector,
the chairperson of the state committee of the
political party represented by that elector shall appoint a person who is
otherwise qualified to be a presidential elector. The replacement presidential
elector shall cast the elector's electoral college vote as prescribed by this
section.� Notwithstanding section 16-344 and any other statute, the
nomination paper and affidavit of qualification of the replacement presidential
elector may be completed and filed with the secretary of state as soon as is
practicable after the presidential elector's appointment.
END_STATUTE