SB1655 • 2026

juror summons; election worker option

SB1655 - juror summons; election worker option

Elections Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Mark Finchem
Last action: 2026-03-17
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on training requirements or compensation for temporary election workers.

Juror Summons; Election Worker Option

This bill allows qualified jurors who receive a juror summons between 120 and 90 days before an election to choose to serve as temporary election workers instead of fulfilling their jury duty.

What This Bill Does

Gives the jury commissioner the authority to offer qualified jurors, who receive summonses between 120 and 90 days before an election, the option to serve as temporary election board workers in place of fulfilling their jury service obligation.
Requires the names and contact information of those interested in serving as temporary election workers to be submitted to the county officer in charge of elections no later than 90 days before the general election.
Ensures that after completing their duties, temporary election board workers are considered to have fulfilled their jury duty obligations.
Allows prospective jurors to provide proof from a county showing they served as an election worker within 180 days of receiving a juror summons to be excused from jury duty.
Permits training for temporary election board workers to be conducted electronically.

Who It Names or Affects

Qualified jurors who receive summonses between 120 and 90 days before an election can choose this option.
County officers in charge of elections will manage the process of appointing these temporary election workers.

Terms To Know

Jury summons: A notice sent to a person telling them they are required to serve on a jury.
Temporary election worker: Someone who works at an election for a short time, helping with tasks like voter registration and ballot counting.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact training requirements or details of how temporary workers will be compensated.
It is unclear if there are any fiscal impacts on the state budget from this change.

Bill History

2026-03-17 House
House second read
2026-03-16 House
House Rules: None
2026-03-16 House
House Judiciary: FAILED
2026-03-16 House
House first read
2026-03-10 House
Transmitted to House
2026-03-10 Senate
Senate third read passed
2026-03-03 Senate
Senate committee of the whole
2026-02-23 Senate
Senate minority caucus
2026-02-23 Senate
Senate majority caucus
2026-02-23 Senate
Senate consent calendar
2026-02-10 Senate
Senate second read
2026-02-09 Senate
Senate Rules: PFC
2026-02-09 Senate
Senate Judiciary and Elections: DP
2026-02-09 Senate
Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1655 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
JUDE������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ FOR
COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1655

juror summons; election
worker option

Purpose

Allows the jury
commissioner to give a qualified juror the option to serve as a temporary
election worker in the appropriate county in place of fulfilling a jury service
obligation.

Background

All qualified
citizens have an obligation to serve on a jury when summoned unless excused.
Courts summon prospective jurors through a jury commissioner or jury manager,
who determines the number of persons to be called for jury service and issues
summonses by mail, telephone or personal service. A person who fails to appear
after proper notice may be resummoned and may be subject to penalties if the
person fails to respond to a second summons (A.R.S. ��
21-101

and
21-331
).

A prospective
juror may be temporarily excused from service if a judge or jury commissioner
finds specific statutory grounds, including mental or physical incapacity,
inability to understand English, undue or extreme physical or financial
hardship, employment as a law enforcement or correctional officer, grand jury
service within the last four years or other good cause shown. A person's jury
service obligation is considered fulfilled by serving on a trial until excused,
appearing and not being assigned to a trial, serving though jury selection,
complying with call-in requirements over a specified period or standing ready
to serve as directed by the court (A.R.S. ��
21-202

and
21-332
).

The county
officer in charge of elections appoints election board members for each polling
place or voting location. Election boards are composed of inspectors, marshals,
judges and clerks and must reflect political party representation requirements.
Election board members must be qualified electors of Arizona, meet eligibility
standards established for election service and are responsible for conducting
election-day operations, including opening and closing polling places,
verifying voter eligibility, issuing ballots, maintaining order at voting
locations, processing provisional ballots and ensuring compliance with election
procedures (A.R.S. ��
16-531

and

16-532
).

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

Provisions

Allows the jury commissioner to give a qualified juror, who receives a
jury summons between the period of 120 days to 90 days preceding the date of
the primary election, the option to serve as a temporary election worker in the
appropriate county for the upcoming primary and general elections, instead of
fulfilling a jury service obligation.

Requires the jury commissioner to submit the names and contact
information of prospective jurors who express interest in serving as temporary
election workers to the county officer in charge of elections no later than 90
days before the general election.

Requires the county officer in charge of elections to process the names
of prospective temporary elections workers in the same manner as election board
appointments and inform the jury commissioner of prospective jurors who intend
to fulfill their jury service obligation by serving as a temporary election
worker.

Requires
the county officer in charge of elections, after receiving the names and
contact information of prospective jurors, to determine whether those persons
are:

qualified to serve as election board workers;

ineligible to serve as otherwise provided by law; or

unwilling
to serve at the location or in the position designated by the officer in charge
of elections.

Requires, on completion of the election and confirmation that a temporary
election board worker completed their service in that role, the county officer
in charge of elections to notify the jury commissioner that the temporary
election board worker's duties were completed.

Adds the completion of service as a temporary election board worker to
the list of actions that constitute fulfillment of a jury service obligation.

Allows a prospective juror to be excused from service as a juror if the
prospective juror provides proof, from the county that employed the prospective
juror, that the prospective juror served as an election board worker within 180
days preceding receipt of the jury summons.

Allows prospective temporary election workers to receive all, or some,
of the required training via electronic means, at the discretion of the county
officer in charge of elections.

Makes technical changes.

10.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 12, 2026

ZD/MY/ci

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1655 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

juror summons;
election worker option

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1655

AN
ACT

amending title 16, chapter 4, article 7,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 16-531.01; amending sections
21-202, 21-331 and 21-332, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to
summoning jurors.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Title 16, chapter 4, article 7,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 16-531.01, to read:

START_STATUTE
16-531.01.

Prospective jurors; temporary election board workers; procedures

A. After receiving the names and
contact information of prospective jurors from a jury commissioner pursuant to
section 21-331, subsection E, the county officer in charge of elections shall
determine whether those persons are qualified to serve as election board
workers, ineligible to serve as otherwise provided by law or unwilling to serve
at the location or in the POSITION designated by the officer in charge of
ELECTIONS.� After that determination, the county officer in charge of elections
may appoint those persons as temporary election board workers.

B. At the discretion of the county
officer in charge of elections, the prospective temporary election board
workers may receive all or some of their required election training by
web-based training modules or other similar electronic means.

C. On completion of the election and
confirmation that a temporary election board worker completed the board
worker's service in that role, the county officer in charge of elections shall
notify the jury commissioner that the temporary election board worker's duties
were completed.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 21-202, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
21-202.

Persons entitled to be excused from jury service

A. It is the policy of this state that all qualified
citizens have an obligation to serve on juries when summoned by the courts of
this state, unless excused.

B. On timely application to the court, the following
persons shall be excused temporarily from service as a juror if the judge or
jury commissioner finds that any of the following applies:

1. The prospective juror has a mental or physical
condition that causes the juror to be incapable of performing jury service.�
The juror or the juror's personal representative shall provide to the court or
jury commissioner a medical statement from a physician who is licensed pursuant
to title 32, a physician assistant who is licensed pursuant to title 32,
chapter 25 or a registered nurse practitioner who is licensed pursuant to title
32, chapter 15 that explains an existing mental or physical condition that
renders the person unfit for jury service.� If a prospective juror does not
have a physician, a physician assistant or a registered nurse practitioner, the
prospective juror or the juror's personal representative shall provide a sworn
statement from a professional caregiver for the prospective juror that is
deemed acceptable by the court or jury commissioner and that explains the
mental or physical condition that renders the prospective juror incapable of
performing jury service.� For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) The statement shall be in writing and shall
contain a description and duration of any mobility restrictions, the specific
symptoms that make the prospective juror mentally or physically unfit for jury
service and their duration, the employment status of the prospective juror and
the printed name, signature, professional license number if applicable, area of
specialty and contact information of the authorizing physician, physician
assistant, registered nurse practitioner or professional caregiver.

(b) A form that complies with this paragraph shall
be made available at courthouses, the Arizona medical board website, the
Arizona regulatory board of physician assistants website, the Arizona board of
osteopathic examiners in medicine and surgery website, the Arizona state board
of nursing website and other appropriate locations that are identified by the
court or jury commissioner.

(c) These documents are not public records and shall
not be disclosed to the general public.

2. Jury service by the prospective juror would
substantially and materially affect the public interest or welfare in an
adverse manner.

3. The prospective juror is not currently capable of
understanding the English language.

4. Jury service would cause undue or extreme
physical or financial hardship to the prospective juror or a person under the
prospective juror's care or supervision.� For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) A judge or jury commissioner of the court for
which the person was called to jury service shall determine whether jury
service would cause the prospective juror undue or extreme physical or
financial hardship.

(b) A person who requests to be excused under this
paragraph shall take all actions necessary to obtain a ruling on the request
before the date on which the person is scheduled to appear for jury duty.

(c) Undue or extreme physical or financial hardship
is limited to the following circumstances in which a person:

(i) Would be required to abandon a person under the
prospective juror's care or supervision due to the impossibility of obtaining
an appropriate substitute caregiver during the period of participation in the
jury pool or on the jury.

(ii) Would incur costs that would have a substantial
adverse impact on the payment of the person's necessary daily living expenses
or on those for whom the prospective juror provides regular employment or the
principal means of support.

(iii) Would suffer physical hardship that would
result in illness or disease.

(d) Undue or extreme physical or financial hardship
does not exist solely based on the fact that a prospective juror will be
required to be absent from the prospective juror's place of employment.

(e) A person who requests to be excused under this
paragraph shall provide the judge or jury commissioner with documentation that
supports the request to be excused, such as federal and state income tax
returns, payroll records, medical statements from physicians licensed pursuant
to title 32, physician assistants licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 25 or
registered nurse practitioners licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 15, proof
of dependency or guardianship or other similar documents. The judge
or jury commissioner may excuse a person if the documentation clearly supports
the request to be excused. These documents are not public records
and shall not be disclosed to the general public.

5. The prospective juror is a peace officer who is
certified by the Arizona peace officer standards and training board and who is
employed as a peace officer by this state or any political subdivision of this
state. The employer of a peace officer shall not in any way
influence the peace officer to make or not to make an application to the court,
pursuant to this section, to be excused from jury service.

6. A judge or jury commissioner of the court for
which the person was called to jury service excuses the prospective juror for
good cause based on a showing of undue or extreme hardship under the
circumstances, including being temporarily absent from the jurisdiction or a
lack of transportation.

7. The prospective juror is summoned within four
years after the prospective juror's last day of service on a grand jury in this
state.

�This paragraph does not apply to a person selected as an
alternate grand juror.

8. The prospective juror is employed in the
correctional officer class series by the state department of corrections.

9. the prospective juror provides
PROOF from the county that EMPLOYED the prospective juror that the prospective
JUROR served as an election board worker as an inspector, marshal, judge or
clerk pursuant to section 16-531 within one hundred eighty days immediately
preceding receipt of the jury summons.

C. Notwithstanding subsection B of this section, a
prospective juror who is at least seventy-five years of age may submit a
written statement to the court requesting that the person be excused from
service. The prospective juror may request to be excused temporarily
or permanently.� On receipt of the request, the judge or jury commissioner
shall excuse the prospective juror from service.

D. A person who is excused temporarily pursuant to
this section becomes eligible for qualification as a juror when the temporary
excuse expires unless the person is permanently excused from jury service.

E. A person may be permanently excused only if the
deciding judge or jury commissioner determines that the underlying grounds for
being excused are permanent in nature or the person is permanently excused
under subsection C of this section.

F. If the judge, jury commissioner or jury manager
permanently excuses the person from jury service, the person shall be notified
that the person is permanently excused.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Section 21-331, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
21-331.

Procedure for summoning jurors

A. The jury commissioner or jury manager shall use
either of the following methods for summoning

persons
for a particular juror pool:�

1. The court shall order the jury commissioner or
jury manager to summon a specific number of qualified jurors, at random, for
either a trial jury or grand jury panel.

2. The jury commissioner or jury manager shall
determine a specific number of persons to be summoned for a court location and
date.

B. In counties in which multiple superior court
locations exist, a juror shall not be summoned to more than one court location
on the same date and is not required to serve in more than one court location
on any specific date.

C. The summons shall be delivered by giving
personal notice to each person, or by leaving a written notice to that effect
at the person's place of residence, with some person of proper age and
discretion, by telephone or by mailing such notice by first class mail,
registered mail or certified mail.

D. Any person who fails to appear in response to a
notice sent by first class mail shall be immediately resummoned by a notice
sent by first class mail, registered mail or certified mail and shall not be
subject to a body attachment or fine as provided in section
21-334
21-223
unless the juror fails to appear in response to
this second summons.� Notwithstanding section 21-301, subsection C, for
any juror whose mail is returned as undeliverable, the jury commissioner or
jury manager shall notify the county recorder who shall send a follow-up notice
to the juror pursuant to section 16-166, subsection A, including
information regarding possible removal from the voter registration rolls, and
on completion of the notification process pursuant to section 16-166, the
county recorder shall transfer the juror to the inactive voter list.

e.
Notwithstanding
any other law, during the period
from one hundred
twenty days to ninety days immediately preceding the date of the regular
primary election, the jury commissioner may give a qualified juror the option
to serve as a temporary election board worker in the appropriate county for the
upcoming primary and general elections instead of fulfilling a jury service
obligation.
Not later than ninety days before
the general election, the jury commissioner shall submit the names and contact
INFORMATION of the prospective jurors who express interest in FULFILLING their
jury service obligation by serving as a temporary election board worker to the
county officer in charge of elections.� The county officer in charge of
elections shall process those names as prescribed by section 16-531.01 and
inform the jury commissioner of the names of PROSPECTIVE jurors who intend to
FULFILL their jury SERVICE obligation by serving as temporary election board
workers.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 4. Section 21-332, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
21-332.

Jurors' term of service; exemption

A. A person's jury service obligation is fulfilled
when the person does any of the following:

1. Serves on one trial until being excused or
discharged.

2. Appears at court but is not assigned to a trial
division for selection of a jury before the end of that day.

3. Is assigned on one day to one or more trial
divisions for jury selection and serves through the completion of jury
selection or is excused.

4. Complies with a request to telephone a court or
check a court's
web site
website
to
determine whether to report on a particular day, for four days within a
thirty day

thirty-day
period.

5. Provides the court with a valid telephone number
and stands ready to serve on the same day, for a period of two days.

6. Serves as a temporary election
board worker PURSUANT to section 16-531.01.

B. A presiding judge of a county superior court, in
coordination with the jury commissioner, may apply to the supreme court for an
exemption for the county from this section for a specified period of time, not
to exceed one year.
END_STATUTE