ESAs; returned monies; administrative costs

SB1687 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed
Senate Bill

ESAs;
returned monies; administrative costs

(now: voter access;
elections; primary date)

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1687

AN
ACT

amending sections 9-204, 9-231,
9-821.01, 15-503, 16-201, 16-204, 16-206, 16-301,
16-311, 16-312, 16-314, 16-322, 16-341, 16-411,
16-544, 16-822, 16-949, 16-951, 16-961, 41-563.02,
42-17056 and 42-17057, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to
elections.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 9-204, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
9-204.

Officers in cities and towns of six hundred to eight hundred
fifty voters; terms of office; elections; removal

A. In all cities or towns not organized under
article 3 or 4 of this chapter, in which at the next preceding municipal
election not more than eight hundred fifty nor less than six hundred votes were
cast, the only officers shall be a mayor, four councilmen, a chief of police, a
recorder who is also ex officio city auditor and police judge, and a treasurer.

B. The term of office of each officer, except
councilmen, is two years. Each councilman shall hold office for a
term of four years. The recorder shall be elected as other city or town
officers.

C.
Through 2031,
elections
shall be held on the third Tuesday in May of each odd-numbered year at
which all officers whose terms have then expired shall be elected.�
beginning in 2032, Elections shall be held on the Tuesday before the
last Monday in May of each odd-numbered year at which all officers whose
terms have then expired shall be elected.

D. The mayor and common council may remove an
officer for malfeasance in office.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 9-231, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
9-231.

Common council

A. The corporate powers of a town incorporated under
section 9-101 shall be vested in a common council. The first
common council shall be appointed by the board of supervisors, on declaring the
town incorporated, and the members shall continue in office until their
successors are elected and qualified.
Through 2031,
the
successors shall be elected by qualified electors residing in the town at an
election held for that purpose on the third Tuesday in May following, and on
the third Tuesday in May each two years thereafter, pursuant to section 16-204.�

Beginning in 2032, the successors shall be elected by qualified
electors residing in the town at an election held for that purpose on the
Tuesday before the last Monday in May following, and on the Tuesday before the
last Monday in May each two years thereafter, pursuant to section 16-204.

B. The common council of every town shall consist of
five members if the population is fifteen hundred persons or less, or seven
members if the population exceeds fifteen hundred persons at the time of
incorporation. If thereafter the population of the town exceeds
fifteen hundred persons as determined by the latest official United States
census, the council may pass an ordinance increasing the membership to seven,
with the additional two members to be elected at the first election subsequent
to the passage of the ordinance.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Section 9-821.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
9-821.01.

Declaration of statewide concern; nonpartisan city and town
elections; districts; procedure

A. Arizona courts have recognized that the
Constitution of Arizona requires the legislature's involvement in issues
relating to elections conducted by charter cities, including initiative and
referendum elections, the method of elections other than by ballot, laws
relating to primary elections, voter registration laws to prevent abuse and
fraud and campaign finance laws. The legislature finds that the
conduct of elections described in this section is a matter of statewide
concern.

B. Notwithstanding any other law, a city or town
shall not hold any election on candidates for which there is any indication on
the ballot of the source of the candidacy or of the support of the candidate.

C. Notwithstanding any other law, for any city or
town that provides for election of city or town council members by district,
ward, precinct or other geographical designation, only those voters who are
qualified electors of the district, ward, precinct or other geographic
designation are eligible to vote for that council member candidate in the city
or town's primary, general, runoff or other election.

D. Notwithstanding any other law or any charter
provision, a city or town may by ordinance provide that at the primary election
any candidate for the office of mayor or city council who receives a majority
of all votes cast at that election for that office shall be declared elected to
the office for which the person is a candidate, effective as of the date of the

canvass of the
general election, and a further election
may not be held as to such candidate, except that if the person holding the
office of mayor or city council at the time of the primary election is holding
that office by appointment as prescribed by section 9-235, the following
apply:

1. A candidate for the remainder of that term in
office who receives a majority of all votes cast at the primary election both:

(a) Shall be declared elected after the canvass and
certification of the results of that primary election and on taking the oath of
office.

(b) Shall be seated in accordance with subsection E
of this section.

2. A candidate for a new term in that office who
receives a majority of all votes cast at the primary election both:

(a) Shall be declared elected to the new term of
office, effective after the canvass and certification of the results of that
primary election and on taking the oath of office.

(b) May be seated to complete the remainder of
the
existing term in accordance with subsection E of this
section.

E. If more than one candidate receives a majority of
all votes cast at the primary
election
for an office that
is currently being served by a person who is appointed as provided in
subsection D of this section, the order of seating the candidates shall be
determined by the highest number of votes.

F. For the purposes of
subsection

subsections
D
and e
of this
section, the majority of votes cast is determined by:

1. Calculating the total number of actual votes cast
for all candidates for an office whose names were lawfully on the ballot for
that office.

2. Dividing the sum reached pursuant to paragraph 1
of this subsection by the number of seats to be filled for the office.

3. Dividing the number reached pursuant to paragraph
2 of this subsection by two and rounding that number to the highest whole
number.

G. If more candidates receive a majority of votes
cast than there are seats to be filled for the office pursuant to subsection D
of this section, from among those candidates who receive a majority of votes
cast, the candidates who receive the highest number of votes equal to the
number of seats to be filled for the office shall be declared elected to that
office.

H. If at the primary election no candidate receives
the majority of the votes cast or the number of seats to be filled for the
office is more than the number of candidates who receive a majority of votes
cast, of the candidates who did not receive a majority of votes cast, the
number of candidates who advance to the general or runoff election shall be
equal in number to twice the number of seats to be filled for the office and
the candidates who received the highest number of votes for the office shall be
the only candidates at the general or runoff election. If more than
one candidate received an equal number of votes and that number was the highest
number of votes for the office, then all candidates receiving the equal number
of votes shall be candidates at the general or runoff election.� The candidates
equal in number to the seats to be filled for the office who receive the
highest number of votes at the general or runoff election shall be declared
elected to that office
, effective as of the date of the canvass
of the general election
. If two or more candidates receive an
equal number of votes cast for the same office, and a higher number than any
other candidate, the candidate who shall be declared elected shall be
determined by lot in the presence of the candidates. A write-in candidate may
not advance to the general or runoff election if the write-in candidate
did not receive a number of votes equivalent to at least the same number of
signatures required by section 16-322 for nominating petitions for the
same office.

I. In addition to subsection D of this section, any
town with a population of five thousand persons or less may by majority vote of
the qualified electors of the town voting on the question provide that at the
primary election those candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the
offices to be filled shall be declared elected to the office, and a further
election may not be held if at least three-fifths of the seats are filled
by persons receiving a majority of the votes cast as provided in subsection D
of this section.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 4. Section 15-503, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
15-503.

Superintendents, principals, head teachers and school
psychologists; terms of employment; evaluation; contract delivery and
acceptance; nonretention notice

A.
The
a school
district
governing board may:

1. Employ a superintendent or principal, or both.�
If the governing board employs a superintendent, the governing board shall
determine the qualifications for the superintendent by action taken at a public
meeting. The governing board shall require a superintendent to have a valid
fingerprint clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12,
article 3.1.

2. Appoint a head teacher.

3. Jointly with another governing board employ a
superintendent or a principal, or both. If the governing board
jointly employs a superintendent, the governing boards shall jointly determine
the qualifications for the superintendent by action taken at a public meeting.
The governing boards shall require a superintendent to have a valid fingerprint
clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1.

B. The term of employment of superintendents may be
for any period not exceeding three years, except that if the superintendent's
contract with the school district is for multiple years pursuant to this
subsection
,
the school district shall not offer to extend
or renegotiate the contract
until no
earlier than fifteen
months before the
expiration of the
contract
expires
.� The term of employment of principals may be for any
period not exceeding three years, except that if the principal's contract with
the school district is for multiple years the school district shall not offer
to extend or negotiate the contract until May of the year preceding the final
year of the contract.� The school district governing board or the
charter school
governing body
of the charter
school
shall communicate the superintendent's or principal's duties with
respect to the classroom site fund established by section 15-977.

C. The governing board shall establish systems for
the evaluation of the performance of principals and other school administrators
and certificated school psychologists in the school district. In
the development

developing
and
adoption of

adopting
these performance
evaluation systems, the governing board shall avail itself of the advice of its
administrators and certificated school psychologists. Each
evaluation shall include recommendations as to areas of improvement in the
performance of the certificated school psychologist if the performance of the
certificated school psychologist warrants improvement. After
transmittal of an assessment, a governing board designee shall confer with the
certificated school psychologist to make specific recommendations as to areas
of improvement in the certificated school psychologist's
performance. The governing board designee shall provide assistance
and opportunities for the certificated school psychologist to improve
performance and shall follow up with the certificated school psychologist after
a reasonable period of time for the purpose of ascertaining that the
certificated school psychologist is demonstrating adequate performance.� The
evaluation process for certificated school psychologists shall include appeal
procedures for certificated school psychologists who disagree with the
evaluation of their performance, if the evaluation is for use as criteria for
establishing compensation or dismissal.

D. On or before May 15 each year, the governing
board shall offer a contract for the next school year to each certified
administrator and certificated school psychologist who is in the last year of
the person's contract unless, on or before April 15, the governing board, a
member of the board acting on behalf of the governing board or the
superintendent of the school district gives notice to the administrator or
certificated school psychologist of the governing board's intention not to
offer a new contract. If
, through 2031,
the
governing board has called for an override election for the third Tuesday in
May
, or beginning in 2032, the governing board has called for an
override election on the Tuesday before the last Monday in May
as
provided in section 15-481, the governing board shall offer a contract
for the next school year to each certified administrator or certificated school
psychologist who is in the last year of the person's contract on or before June
15 unless,
no
not
later than five
days after the override election excluding Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays,
the governing board, a member of the governing board acting on behalf of the
governing board or the superintendent of the school district gives notice to
the administrator or the certificated school psychologist of the governing
board's intention not to offer a new contract. The administrator's
or the certificated school psychologist's acceptance of the contract shall be
indicated within thirty days after the date of the written contract or the
offer is revoked. The administrator or certificated school
psychologist accepts the contract by signing the contract and returning it to
the governing board or by making a written instrument that accepts the terms of
the contract and delivering the written instrument to the governing board.

E. Notice of the governing board's intention not to
reemploy the administrator or certificated school psychologist shall be made by
delivering the notice personally to the administrator or the certificated
school psychologist or by sending the notice by certified mail, postmarked on
or before the applicable deadline prescribed in subsection D of this section,
and directed to the administrator or the certificated school psychologist at
the person's place of residence as recorded in the school district records.

F. The governing board shall make available the
evaluation and performance classification of each principal in the school
district to school districts and charter schools that are inquiring about the
performance of the principal for hiring purposes.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 5. Section 16-201, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-201.

Primary elections

A primary election shall be held on the second to last

Tuesday in July in any year in which a general election or
special election is held and at which candidates for public office are to be
elected.
BEGINNING in
2032 and
later, a primary election shall be held on the Tuesday before the last Monday
in May in any year in which a general election or special election is held and
at which candidates for public office are to be elected.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 6. Section 16-204, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-204.

Declaration of statewide concern; consolidated election dates;
definition

A. The legislature finds and determines that for the
purposes of increasing voter participation and for decreasing the costs to the
taxpayers it is a matter of statewide concern that all elections in this state
be conducted on a limited number of days and, therefore, the legislature finds
and declares that the holding of all elections on certain specific consolidated
days is a matter of statewide concern. This section preempts all local laws,
ordinances and charter provisions to the contrary.

B. For elections held before 2014 and
notwithstanding any other law or any charter or ordinance of any county, city
or town to the contrary, an election held for or on behalf of a county, city or
town, a school district, a community college district or special districts
organized pursuant to title 48, chapters 5, 6, 8, 10, 13 through 16 and 33 may
only be held on the following dates:

1. Except for regular elections for candidates in a
city or town with a population of one hundred seventy-five thousand or more
persons, all elections, including recall elections and special elections to
fill vacancies, shall be held on:

(a) The second Tuesday in March.

(b) The third Tuesday in May.

(c) The tenth Tuesday before the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November.

(d) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November. Notwithstanding any other law, an election must be held on this date
for the approval of an obligation or other authorization requiring or
authorizing the assessment of secondary property taxes by a county, city, town,
school district, community college district or special taxing district, except
as provided by title 48.

2. For regular elections that are only for
candidates in a city or town with a population of one hundred seventy-five
thousand or more persons and not including recall elections and special
elections to fill vacancies in those cities or towns, elections shall be held
on:

(a) The tenth Tuesday before the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November.

(b) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November.

C. For elections held before 2014, for any city or
town, including a charter city, that holds its regularly scheduled candidate
elections in even-numbered years pursuant to subsection B, paragraph 2 of
this section, the term of office for a member of the city council or for the
office of mayor begins on or after the second Tuesday in January in the year
following the election.

D. Subsections B and C of this section do not apply
to an election regarding a county or city charter committee or county or city
charter proposal that is conducted pursuant to article XIII, section 2 or 3 or
article XII, section 5, Constitution of Arizona.

E. Beginning with elections held in 2014 and later
and notwithstanding any other law or any charter or ordinance to the contrary,
a candidate election held for or on behalf of any political subdivision of this
state other than a special election to fill a vacancy or a recall election may
only be held on the following dates and only in even-numbered years:

1.
Beginning in

through

2026

2030

and later
, the second to last

Tuesday
in July.
Beginning in
2032 and
later, the election shall be held on the Tuesday before the last Monday in
May.
If the political subdivision holds a primary or first
election and a general or runoff election is either required or optional for
that political subdivision, the first election shall be held on this date,
without regard to whether the political subdivision designates the election a
primary election, a first election, a preliminary election or any other
descriptive term.

2. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November. If the political subdivision holds a general election or a
runoff election, the second election held shall be held on this
date. If the political subdivision holds only a single election and
no preliminary or primary or other election is ever held for the purpose of
reducing the number of candidates, or receiving a partisan nomination or
designation or for any other purpose for that political subdivision, the single
election shall be held on this date.

F. Beginning with elections held in 2014 and later
that are not candidate elections, an election held for or on behalf of any
political subdivision of this state, and including a special election to fill a
vacancy or a recall election, may only be held on the following dates:

1. The second Tuesday in March.

2. The third Tuesday in May.

3.

2.
Beginning
in 2026

and
later

through
2031
, the second to last

Tuesday
in July.
Beginning in
2032 and
later, the election shall be held on the Tuesday before the last Monday in May.

4.

3.
The
first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Notwithstanding any other
law, an election must be held on this date for the approval of an obligation or
other authorization requiring or authorizing the assessment of secondary
property taxes by a county, city, town, school district, community college
district or special taxing district, except as provided by title 48.
Notwithstanding any other law, an election must be held on the date specified
in this paragraph and only in even-numbered years for the approval of or
authorizing the assessment of transaction privilege taxes by a county, city or
town.

G. Notwithstanding any other law, for an election
administered by a county recorder or other officer in charge of elections on
behalf of a city, town or school district and that is an all mail ballot
election for that city, town or school district, the county recorder or other
officer in charge of elections may use a unified ballot format that combines
all of the issues applicable to the voters in the city, town or school district
requesting the all mail ballot election.

H. For the purposes of this section, "political
subdivision" means any governmental entity operating under the authority
of this state and governed by an elected body, including a city, town, county,
school district or community college district or any other district organized
under state law but not including a special taxing district.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 7. Section 16-206, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-206.

Election day

A.
Through
2030,

the biennial primary election day on the second to last

Tuesday
in July

in the year the general election is held and the
biennial general election day on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November of every even-numbered year are not legal holidays.
Beginning in
2032 and later, the BIENNIAL
primary election day on the Tuesday before the last Monday in May in the year
the general election is held and the biennial general ELECTION day on the
Tuesday after the first MONDAY in NOVEMBER of every even-numbered year are not
legal holidays.

B. Every public officer or employee is entitled to
absence from service or employment for the purpose of voting pursuant to
section 16-402 on the biennial primary and general election days.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 8. Section 16-301, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-301.

Nomination of candidates for printing on official ballot of
general or special election

A. At a primary election, each political party
entitled and intending to make nominations for the ensuing general or special
election, if it desires to have the names of its candidates printed on the
official ballot at that general or special election, shall nominate its
candidates for all elective, senatorial, congressional, state, judicial, county
and precinct offices to be filled at
such

the
election except as provided in section 16-344.

B.
Through 2030,
not later
than sixty days
and beginning in 2032, not later than
seventy-five days
before the date of the general election, a candidate
for governor shall submit to the secretary of state the name of the person who
will be the joint candidate for lieutenant governor with that gubernatorial
candidate and whose name will appear on the general election ballot jointly
with the candidate for governor.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 9. Section 16-311, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-311.

Nomination papers; statement of interest; filing; definitions

A. Any person desiring to become a candidate at a
primary election for a political party and to have the person's name printed on
the official ballot shall be a qualified elector of the party and,
through 2030,
not less than one hundred twenty nor more than
one hundred fifty days before the primary election
and beginning
in 2032, not less than one hundred seventeen nor more than one hundred forty
days before the primary election
, shall sign and cause to be filed a
nomination paper giving the person's actual residence address or, if the person
does not have an actual residence address, a description of place of residence
and post office address, or, if the person's actual residence address is
protected pursuant to section 16-153, a post office box or private
mailbox address in the candidate's district or precinct, as applicable for a
district or precinct office, naming the party of which the person desires to
become a candidate, stating the office and district or precinct, if any, for
which the person offers the person's candidacy, stating the exact manner in
which the person desires to have the person's name printed on the official
ballot pursuant to subsection G of this section, and giving the date of
the primary election and, if nominated, the date of the general election at
which the person desires to become a candidate. Except for a
candidate for United States senator or representative in Congress, a candidate
for public office shall be a qualified elector at the time of filing and shall
reside in the county, district or precinct that the person proposes to
represent. A candidate for partisan public office shall be
continuously registered with the political party of which the person desires to
be a candidate beginning
no

not

later than the date of the first petition signature on the candidate's petition
through the date of the general election at which the person is a candidate.

B. Any person desiring to become a candidate at any
nonpartisan election and to have the person's name printed on the official
ballot shall be at the time of filing a qualified elector of the county, city,
town or district and,
through 2031,
not less than one
hundred twenty nor more than one hundred fifty days before the election
and beginning in 2032, not less than one hundred seventeen nor more
than one hundred forty days before the election
, shall sign and cause to
be filed a nomination paper giving the person's actual residence address or, if
the person does not have an actual residence address, a description of place of
residence and post office address, or, if the person's actual residence address
is protected pursuant to section 16-153, a post office box or private
mailbox address in the candidate's county, city, town or district and ward or
precinct, as applicable for a county, city, town or district and ward or
precinct office, stating the office and county, city, town or district and ward
or precinct, if any, for which the person offers the person's candidacy,
stating the exact manner in which the person desires to have the person's name
printed on the official ballot pursuant to subsection G of this section
and giving the date of the election. A candidate for office shall
reside at the time of filing in the county, city, town, district, ward or
precinct that the person proposes to represent.

C. Notwithstanding subsection B of this section, any
city or town may adopt by ordinance for its elections the time frame provided
in subsection A of this section for filing nomination petitions. The
ordinance shall be adopted not less than one hundred fifty days before the
first election to which it applies.

D. All persons desiring to become a candidate shall
file with the nomination paper provided for in subsection A of this section a
declaration, which shall be printed in a form prescribed by the secretary of
state. The declaration shall include facts sufficient to show that,
other than the residency requirement provided in subsection A of this section
and the satisfaction of any monetary penalties, fines or judgments as
prescribed in subsection J of this section, the candidate will be qualified at
the time of election to hold the office the person seeks, and that for any
monetary penalties, fines or judgments as prescribed in subsection J of this
section, the candidate has made complete payment before the time of filing.

E. The nomination paper of a candidate for the
office of United States senator or representative in Congress, for the office
of presidential elector or for a state office, including a member of the
legislature, or for any other office for which the electors of the entire state
or a subdivision of the state greater than a county are entitled to vote, shall
be filed with the secretary of state
no

not

later than 5:00 p.m. on the last date for filing.

F. The nomination paper of a candidate for superior
court judge or for a county, district and precinct office for which the
electors of a county or a subdivision of a county other than an incorporated
city or town are entitled to vote shall be filed with the county elections
officer
no

not
later than 5:00 p.m.
on the last date for filing as prescribed by subsection A of this
section. The nomination paper of a candidate for a city or town
office shall be filed with the city or town clerk
no

not
later than 5:00 p.m. on the last date for
filing. The nomination paper of a candidate for school district
office shall be filed with the county school superintendent
no

not
later than 5:00 p.m. on the last date for filing.

G. The nomination paper shall include the exact
manner in which the candidate desires to have the person's name printed on the
official ballot and shall be limited to the candidate's surname and given name
or names, an abbreviated version of such names or appropriate initials such as
"Bob" for "Robert", "Jim" for "James",
"Wm." for "William" or "S." for
"Samuel". Nicknames are permissible, but nicknames, abbreviated
versions or initials of given names may not suggest reference to professional,
fraternal, religious or military titles and may not include a slogan, a
promotional word or phrase or any word that does not actually constitute a
nickname. No other descriptive name or names shall be printed on the
official ballot, except as provided in this section. Candidates'
abbreviated names or nicknames may be printed within quotation marks. The
candidate's surname shall be printed first, followed by the given name or
names.

H. Not later than the date of the first petition
signature on a nomination petition, a person who may be a candidate for office
pursuant to this section shall file a statement of interest with the
appropriate filing officer for that office. The statement of
interest shall contain the name of the person, the political party, if any, and
the name of the office that may be sought. Any nomination petition
signatures collected before the date the statement of interest is filed are
invalid and subject to challenge. This subsection does not apply to:

1. Candidates for elected office for special taxing
districts that are established pursuant to title 48.

2. Candidates for precinct committeeman.

3. Candidates for president or vice president of the
United States.

I. A person who does not file a timely nomination
paper that complies with this section is not eligible to have the person's name
printed on the official ballot for that office. The filing officer
shall not accept the nomination paper of a candidate for state or local office
unless the person provides or has provided all of the following:

1. The financial disclosure statement as prescribed
for candidates for that office.

2. The declaration of qualification and eligibility
as prescribed in subsection D of this section.

J. Except in cases where the liability is being
appealed, the filing officer shall not accept the nomination paper of a
candidate for state or local office if the person is liable for an aggregation
of $1,000 or more in fines, penalties, late fees or administrative or civil
judgments, including any interest or costs, in any combination, that have not
been fully satisfied at the time of the attempted filing of the nomination
paper and the liability arose from failure to comply with or enforcement of
chapter 6 of this title.

K. For the purposes of this title:

1. "Election district" means this state,
any county, city, town, precinct or other political subdivision or a special
district that is not a political subdivision, that is authorized by statute to
conduct an election and that is authorized or required to conduct its election
in accordance with this title.

2. "Nomination paper" means the form filed
with the appropriate office by a person wishing to declare the person's intent
to become a candidate for a particular political office.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 10. Section 16-312, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-312.

Filing of nomination papers for write-in candidates

A. Any person desiring to become a write-in
candidate for an elective office in any election shall be at the time of filing
a qualified elector of the county or district the person proposes to represent
and shall have been a resident of that county or district for one hundred
twenty days before the date of the election, except that for a city or town
office, section 9-232 applies with respect to residency for the
candidate. The person shall file a nomination paper, signed by the
candidate, giving the person's actual residence address or, if the person does
not have an actual residence address, a description of place of residence and
post office address, or, if the person's actual residence address is protected
pursuant to section 16-153, a post office box or private mailbox address
in the candidate's district, precinct or municipality, as applicable for the
district, precinct or municipal office that the person proposes to represent,
and the person's age, length of residence in the state and date of birth.

B. A write-in candidate shall file the
nomination paper not earlier than one hundred
fifty

forty
days before the election and not later than 5:00 p.m. on
the sixtieth day before the election, except that:

1. A candidate running as a write-in candidate
as provided in section 16-343, subsection D shall file the nomination
paper not later than 5:00 p.m. on the fifth day before the election.

2. A candidate running as a write-in candidate for
an election that may be canceled pursuant to section 16-410 shall file
the nomination paper not later than 5:00 p.m. on the one hundred sixth day
before the election.

C. The write-in
filing procedure shall be in the same manner as prescribed in section 16-311. Any
person who does not file a timely nomination paper shall not be counted in the
tally of ballots. The filing officer shall not accept the nomination
paper of a candidate for state or local office unless the candidate provides or
has provided the financial disclosure statement as prescribed for candidates
for that office.

D. Except in cases where the liability is being
appealed, the filing officer shall not accept the nomination paper of a
write-in candidate for state or local office if the person is liable for an
aggregation of $1,000 or more in fines, penalties, late fees or administrative
or civil judgments, including any interest or costs, in any combination, that
have not been fully satisfied at the time of the attempted filing of the
nomination paper and the liability arose from failure to comply with or
enforcement of chapter 6 of this title.

E. The secretary of state shall notify the various
boards of supervisors as to write-in candidates filing with the secretary
of state's office. The county school superintendent shall notify the
appropriate board of supervisors as to write-in candidates filing with
the superintendent's office. The board of supervisors shall notify
the appropriate election board inspector of all candidates who have properly
filed such statements. In the case of a city or town election, the
city or town clerk shall notify the appropriate election board inspector of
candidates properly filed. No other write-ins shall be
counted. The election board inspector shall post the notice of
official write-in candidates in a conspicuous location within the polling
place.

F. Except as provided in section 16-343,
subsection E, a candidate may not file pursuant to this section if any of the
following applies:

1. For a candidate in the general election, the
candidate ran in the immediately preceding primary election and failed to be
nominated to the office sought in the current election.

2. For a candidate in the general election, the
candidate filed a nomination petition for the immediately preceding primary
election for the office sought and failed to provide a sufficient number of
valid petition signatures as prescribed by section 16-322.

3. For a candidate in the primary election, the
candidate filed a nomination petition for the current primary election for the
office sought and failed to provide a sufficient number of valid petition
signatures as prescribed by section 16-322, withdrew from the primary
election after a challenge was filed or was removed from or otherwise
determined by court order to be ineligible for the primary election ballot.

4. For a candidate in the general election, the
candidate filed a nomination petition for nomination other than by primary
election for the office sought and failed to provide a sufficient number of
valid petition signatures as prescribed by section 16-341.

G. A person who files a nomination paper pursuant to
this section for the office of president of the United States shall designate
in writing to the secretary of state at the time of filing the name of the
candidate's vice presidential running mate, the names of presidential electors
who will represent that candidate and a statement signed by the vice
presidential running mate and designated presidential electors that indicates
their consent to be designated. A nomination paper for each presidential elector
designated shall be filed with the candidate's nomination paper. The
number of presidential electors shall equal the number of United States
senators and representatives in Congress from this state.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 11. Section 16-314, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-314.

Filing and form of nomination petitions; definition

A. Any person
desiring
who desires
to become a candidate at any election and to have
the person's name printed on the official ballot shall file,
through
2030,
not less than one hundred twenty nor more than one hundred fifty
days before the primary election
and beginning in 2032, not less
than one hundred seventeen nor more than one hundred forty days before the
primary election,
and with the same officer as provided by section 16-311,
a nomination petition in addition to the nomination paper required.

C.

b.
Nomination
petitions shall be captioned "partisan nomination petition" or
"nonpartisan nomination petition", followed by the language of the
petition in substantially the following form, except that if the candidate does
not have an actual residence address, the candidate may use a description of
place of residence and post office address, or, if the candidate's actual
residence address is protected pursuant to section 16-153, a post office
box or private mailbox address in the candidate's political division or
district from which the nomination is sought is sufficient:

Partisan Nomination
Petition

I, the undersigned, a qualified elector of the county of
______________, state of Arizona, and of (here name political division or
district from which the nomination is sought) and a member of the
_______________ party or a person who is registered as no party preference or
independent as the party preference or who is registered with a political party
that is not qualified for representation on the ballot, hereby nominate
___________ who resides at _____________ in the county of ____________ for the
party nomination for the office of _______________ to be voted at the primary
election to be held _______________ as representing the principles of such
party, and I hereby declare that I am qualified to vote for this office and
that I have not signed, and will not sign, any nomination petition for more
persons than the number of candidates necessary to fill such office at the next
ensuing election. I further declare that if I choose to use a post
office box address on this petition, my residence address has not changed since
I last reported it to the county recorder for purposes of updating my voter
registration file.

Nonpartisan Nomination
Petition

I, the undersigned, a qualified elector of the county of
_______________, state of Arizona, and of (here name political division or
district from which the nomination is sought) hereby nominate _______________
who resides at _______________ in the county of _______________ for the office
of ______________ to be voted at the _______________ election to be held
_______________, and hereby declare that I am qualified to vote for this office
and that I have not signed and will not sign any nomination petitions for more
persons than the number of candidates necessary to fill such office at the next
ensuing election. I further declare that if I choose to use a post office box
address on this petition, my residence address has not changed since I last
reported it to the county recorder for purposes of updating my voter
registration file.

D.

c.
The
nomination petition of a person seeking to fill an unexpired vacant term for
any public office shall designate the expiration date of the term following the
name of the office being sought.

B.

d.
For
the purposes of this title, "nomination petition means the form or forms
used for obtaining the required number of signatures of qualified electors,
which is circulated by or on behalf of the person wishing to become a candidate
for a political office.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 12. Section 16-322, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-322.

Number of signatures required on nomination petitions

A. Nomination petitions shall be signed by a number
of qualified signers equal to:

1. If for a candidate for the office of United
States senator or for a state office, excepting members of the legislature and
superior court judges, at least one-fourth of one percent but not more than ten
percent of the total number of qualified signers in
the
this
state.

2. If for a candidate for the office of
representative in Congress, at least one-half of one percent but not more
than ten percent of the total number of qualified signers in the district from
which the representative shall be elected except that if for a candidate for a
special election to fill a vacancy in the office of representative in Congress,
at least one-fourth of one percent but not more than ten percent of the
total number of qualified signers in the district from which the representative
shall be elected.

3. If for a candidate for the office of member of
the legislature, at least one-half of one percent but not more than three
percent of the total number of qualified signers in the district from which the
member of the legislature may be elected.

4. If for a candidate for a county office or
superior court judge, at least one percent but not more than ten percent of the
total number of qualified signers in the county or district, except that if for
a candidate from a county with a population of two hundred thousand persons or
more, at least one-fourth of one percent but not more than ten percent of
the total number of qualified signers in the county or district.

5. If for a candidate for a community college
district, at least one-quarter of one percent but not more than ten
percent of the total voter registration in the precinct as established pursuant
to section 15-1441.� Notwithstanding the total voter registration in the
community college district, the maximum number of signatures required by this
paragraph is one thousand.

6. If for a candidate for county precinct
committeeman, at least two percent but not more than ten percent of the party
voter registration in the precinct or ten signatures, whichever is less.

7. If for a candidate for justice of the peace or
constable in a county with a population of one million persons or more, at
least one percent but not more than ten percent of the number of qualified
signers in the precinct.

8. If for a candidate for justice of the peace or
constable in a county with a population of less than one million persons, at
least one percent but not more than ten percent of the number of qualified
signers in the precinct or three hundred signatures, whichever is less.

9. If for a candidate for mayor or other office
nominated by a city at large, at least five percent and not more than ten
percent of the designated party vote in the city, except that a city that
chooses to hold nonpartisan elections may provide by ordinance that the minimum
number of signatures required for the candidate be one thousand signatures or
five percent of the vote in the city, whichever is less, but not more than ten
percent of the vote in the city.

10. If for an office nominated by ward, precinct or
other district of a city, at least five percent and not more than ten percent
of the designated party vote in the ward, precinct or other district, except
that a city that chooses to hold nonpartisan elections may provide by ordinance
that the minimum number of signatures required for the candidate be two hundred
fifty signatures or five percent of the vote in the district, whichever is
less, but not more than ten percent of the vote in the district.

11. If for a candidate for an office nominated by a
town at large, by a number of qualified electors who are qualified to vote for
the candidate whose nomination petition they are signing equal to at least five
percent and not more than ten percent of the vote in the town, except that a
town that chooses to hold nonpartisan elections may provide by ordinance that
the minimum number of signatures required for the candidate be one thousand
signatures or five percent of the vote in the town, whichever is less, but not
more than ten percent of the vote in the town.

12. If for a candidate for a governing board of a
school district or a career technical education district, at least one-half
of one percent of the total voter registration in the school district or career
technical education district if the board members are elected at large or one
percent of the total voter registration in the single member district if
governing board members are elected from single member districts or one-half
of one percent of the total voter registration in the single member district if
career technical education district board members are elected from single
member districts. Notwithstanding the total voter registration in
the school district, career technical education district or single member
district of the school district or career technical education district, the
maximum number of signatures required by this paragraph is four hundred.

13. If for a candidate for a governing body of a
special district as described in title 48, at least one-half of one
percent of the vote in the special district but not more than two hundred fifty
and not fewer than five signatures.

B.
Through 2031,
the basis of
percentage in each instance referred to in subsection A of this section, except
in cities, towns and school districts, shall be the number of qualified signers
as determined from the voter registration totals as reported pursuant to
section 16-168, subsection H on January 2 of the year in which the
general election is held
and beginning in 2032, from the voter
registration totals as reported pursuant to section 16-168, subsection H on
October 1 of the year before the year in which the general election is held
. In
cities, the basis of percentage shall be the vote of the party for mayor at the
last preceding election at which a mayor was elected. In towns, the
basis of percentage shall be the highest vote cast for an elected official of the
town at the last preceding election at which an official of the town was
elected. In school districts or career technical education
districts, the basis of percentage shall be the total number of active
registered voters in the school district or career technical education district
or single member district, whichever applies. The total number of
active registered voters for school districts or career technical education
districts shall be calculated using the periodic reports prepared by the county
recorder pursuant to section 16-168, subsection H.
Through 2030,
the count that is reported on January 2 of the
year in which the general election is held
and beginning in
2032, the count that is reported on October 1 of the year before the year in
which the general election is held
shall be the basis for the
calculation of total voter registration for school districts or career
technical education districts.

C. In primary elections the signature requirement
for party nominees, other than nominees of the parties entitled to continued
representation pursuant to section 16-804, is at least one-tenth of
one percent of the total vote for the winning candidate or candidates for
governor or presidential electors at the last general election within the
district. Signatures must be obtained from qualified electors who
are qualified to vote for the candidate whose nomination petition they are
signing.

D. If new boundaries for congressional districts or
legislative districts are established and effective subsequent to January 2 of
the year of a general election and before the first date for filing of
nomination petitions, the basis for determining the required number of
nomination petition signatures is the number of qualified signers in the
elective office or district that was effective on
January 2

October 1
of
the year before
the
year of a general election. If new boundaries for supervisorial
districts, justice precincts or election precincts are adopted after January 2
of the year of a general election and before the last date for filing of
nomination petitions for the elective office, district or precinct, the basis
for determining the required number of nomination petition signatures is the
number of qualified signers in the elective office, district or precinct on the
effective date of the new district or precinct.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 13. Section 16-341, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-341.

Nomination petition; method and time of filing; form;
qualifications and number of petitioners required; statement of interest

A. Any qualified elector who is not a registered
member of a political party that is recognized pursuant to this title may be
nominated as a candidate for public office otherwise than by primary election
or by party committee pursuant to this section.

B. This article shall not be used to place on the
general election ballot the name of a political party that fails to meet the
qualifications specified in section 16-802 or 16-804, or the name
of any candidate representing such party or the name of a candidate who has
filed a nomination petition in the immediately preceding primary election and
has failed to qualify as the result of an insufficient number of valid
signatures.

C. A nomination petition stating the name of the
office to be filled, the name and residence of the candidate, or, if the
candidate does not have an actual residence address, a description of place of
residence and post office address, or, if the person's actual residence address
is protected pursuant to section 16-153, a post office box or private
mailbox address in the candidate's district, precinct or municipality, as
applicable for a district, precinct or municipal office, and other information
required by this section shall be filed with the same officer with whom primary
nomination papers and petitions are required to be filed as prescribed in
section 16-311. Except for candidates for the office of
presidential elector filed pursuant to this section,
through
2030,
the petition shall be filed not less than one hundred twenty days
nor more than one hundred fifty days before the primary election
and beginning in 2032, not less than one hundred seventeen nor more
than one hundred forty days before the primary election
. The
petition shall be signed only by voters who have not signed the nomination
petitions of a candidate for the office to be voted for at that primary
election.

D. The nomination petition shall be in substantially
the following form, except that if the candidate does not have an actual
residence address, the candidate may use a description of place of residence
and post office address, or, if the candidate's actual residence address is
protected pursuant to section 16-153, a post office box or private
mailbox address in the candidate's district, precinct or municipality, as
applicable for a district, precinct or municipal office, is sufficient:

The undersigned, qualified electors of __________ county,
state of Arizona, do hereby nominate __________, who resides at __________ in
the county of __________, as a candidate for the office of _______ at the
general (or special, as the case may be) election to be held on the ________
day of _________, _____.

I hereby declare that I have not signed the nomination
petitions of any candidate for the office to be voted for at this primary
election, and I do hereby select the following designation under which name the
said candidate shall be placed on the official ballot (here insert such
designation not exceeding three words in length as the signers may select).

E. The nomination petition shall conform as nearly
as possible to the provisions relating to nomination petitions of candidates to
be voted for at primary elections and shall be signed by at least the number of
persons who are registered to vote determined by calculating three percent of
the persons who are registered to vote of the state, county, subdivision or
district for which the candidate is nominated who are not members of a
political party that is qualified to be represented by an official party ballot
at the next ensuing primary election and accorded representation on the general
election ballot.

F. The percentage of persons who are registered to
vote necessary to sign the nomination petition shall be determined by the total
number of registered voters from other than political parties that are
qualified to be represented by an official party ballot at the next ensuing
primary election and accorded representation on the general election ballot in
the state, county, subdivision or district on
January 2

October 1
of the year
before the year
in
which the general election is held. Notwithstanding the method
prescribed by subsection E of this section and this subsection for calculating
the minimum number of signatures necessary, any person who is registered to
vote in the state, county, subdivision or district for which the candidate is
nominated is eligible to sign the nomination petition without regard to the
signer's party affiliation.

G. A nomination petition for any candidate may be
circulated by a person who is not a resident of this state but who is otherwise
eligible to register to vote in this state if that person registers as a
circulator with the secretary of state before circulating
petitions. The nomination petition for the office of presidential
elector shall include a group of names of candidates equal to the number of
United States senators and representatives in Congress from this state instead
of separate nomination petitions for each candidate for the office of
presidential elector. A valid signature on a petition containing a
group of presidential electors candidates is counted as a signature for the
nomination of each of the candidates. The presidential candidate
whom the candidates for presidential elector will represent shall designate in
writing to the secretary of state the names of the candidates who will
represent the presidential candidate before any signatures for the candidate
can be accepted for filing. A nomination petition for the office of
presidential elector shall be filed not less than eighty nor more than one
hundred days before the general election. The petition shall be
signed only by qualified electors who have not signed the nomination petitions
of a candidate for the office of presidential elector to be voted for at that
election.

H. The secretary of state shall require in the
instructions and procedures manual issued pursuant to section 16-452 that
persons who circulate nomination petitions pursuant to this section and who are
not residents of this state but who are otherwise eligible to register to vote
in this state shall register as circulators with the office of the secretary of
state before circulating petitions. The secretary of state shall provide for a
method of receiving service of process for those petition circulators who are
registered.

I. Not later than the date of
the first petition signature on a nomination petition, a person who may be a
candidate for office pursuant to this section shall file a statement of
interest with the appropriate filing officer for that office. The
statement of interest shall contain the name of the person, the political
party, if any, and the name of the office that may be sought. Any
nomination petition signatures collected before the date the statement of
interest is filed are invalid and subject to challenge. This
subsection does not apply to:

1. Candidates for elected office for special taxing
districts that are established pursuant to title 48.

2. Candidates for precinct committeeman.

3. Candidates for president or vice president of the
United States.

J. A person who files a nomination paper pursuant to
this section for the office of president of the United States shall designate
in writing to the secretary of state at the time of filing the name of the
candidate's vice presidential running mate, the names of the presidential
electors who will represent that candidate and a statement that is signed by
the vice presidential running mate and the designated presidential electors and
that indicates their consent to be designated. A nomination paper
for each presidential elector designated shall be filed with the candidate's
nomination paper. The number of presidential electors shall equal
the number of United States senators and representatives in Congress from this
state.

K. A candidate who does not file a timely nomination
petition that complies with this section is not eligible to have the
candidate's name printed on the official ballot for that office. The
filing officer shall not accept the nomination paper of a candidate for state
or local office unless the candidate provides or has provided all of the
following:

1. The financial disclosure statement as prescribed
for candidates for that office.

2. The declaration of qualification and eligibility
as prescribed in section 16-311.

L. Not later than sixty days before the date of the
general election, a candidate for governor who files a nomination petition
pursuant to this section shall submit to the secretary of state the name of the
person who will be the joint candidate for lieutenant governor with that
gubernatorial candidate and whose name will appear on the general election
ballot jointly with the candidate for governor.

M. Except in cases where the liability is being
appealed, the filing officer shall not accept the nomination paper of a
candidate for state or local office if the person is liable for an aggregation
of $1,000 or more in fines, penalties, late fees or administrative or civil
judgments, including any interest or costs, in any combination, that have not
been fully satisfied at the time of the attempted filing of the nomination
paper and the liability arose from failure to comply with or enforcement of
chapter 6 of this title.

N. The secretary of state may authorize for
statewide and legislative offices the creation, use and submission of petitions
prescribed by this section in electronic form if those petitions provide for an
appropriate method to verify signatures of petition circulators and
signers. The secretary of state may require use of a unique marking
system for petition pages, including a bar code, a quick response code or
another similar marking system.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 14. Section 16-411, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-411.

Designation of election precincts and polling places; voting
centers; electioneering; wait times

A.
Beginning in 2031,
the
board of supervisors of each county, on or before
October

July
1 of each year preceding the year of a general election,
by an order, shall establish a convenient number of election precincts in the
county and define the boundaries of the precincts as follows:

1. The election precinct boundaries shall be
established so as to be included within election districts prescribed by law
for elected officers of the state and its political subdivisions, including
community college district precincts, except those elected officers provided
for in titles 30 and 48.

2. If after October 1 of the year preceding the year
of a general election the board of supervisors must further adjust precinct
boundaries due to the redistricting of election districts as prescribed by law
and to comply with this subsection, the board of supervisors shall adjust these
precinct boundaries as soon as is practicable.

B. At least twenty days before a general or primary
election, and at least ten days before a special election, the board shall
designate one polling place within each precinct where the election shall be
held, except that:

1. On a specific finding of the board, included in
the order or resolution designating polling places pursuant to this subsection,
that no suitable polling place is available within a precinct, a polling place
for that precinct may be designated within an adjacent precinct.

2. Adjacent precincts may be combined if boundaries
so established are included in election districts prescribed by law for state
elected officials and political subdivisions including community college
districts but not including elected officials prescribed by titles 30 and
48. The officer in charge of elections may also split a precinct for
administrative purposes.� The polling places shall be listed in separate
sections of the order or resolution.

3. On a specific finding of the board that the
number of persons who are listed as early voters pursuant to section 16-544
and who are not expected to have their ballots tabulated at the polling place
as prescribed in section 16-579.02 is likely to substantially reduce the
number of voters appearing at one or more specific polling places at that
election, adjacent precincts may be consolidated by combining polling places
and precinct boards for that election. The board of supervisors
shall ensure that a reasonable and adequate number of polling places will be
designated for that election. Any consolidated polling places shall be listed
in separate sections of the order or resolution of the board.

4. On a specific resolution of the board, the board
may authorize the use of voting centers in place of or in addition to
specifically designated polling places. A voting center shall allow
any voter in that county to receive the appropriate ballot for that voter on
election day after presenting identification as prescribed in section 16-579
and to lawfully cast the ballot. Voting centers may be established
in coordination and consultation with the county recorder, at other county
offices or at other locations in the county deemed appropriate.

5. On a specific resolution of the board of
supervisors that is limited to a specific election date and that is voted on by
a recorded vote, the board may authorize the county recorder or other officer
in charge of elections to use emergency voting centers as follows:

(a) The board shall specify in the resolution the
location and the hours of operation of the emergency voting centers.

(b) A qualified elector voting at an emergency
voting center shall provide identification as prescribed in section 16-579,
except that notwithstanding section 16-579, subsection A, paragraph 2,
for any voting at an emergency voting center, the county recorder or other
officer in charge of elections may allow a qualified elector to update the
elector's voter registration information as provided for in the secretary of
state's instructions and procedures manual adopted pursuant to section 16-452.

(c) If an emergency voting center established
pursuant to this section becomes unavailable and there is not sufficient time
for the board of supervisors to convene to approve an alternate location for
that emergency voting center, the county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections may make changes to the approved emergency voting center location and
shall notify the public and the board of supervisors regarding that change as
soon as practicable. The alternate emergency voting center shall be
as close in proximity to the approved emergency voting center location as
possible.

C. If the board fails to designate the place for
holding the election, or if it cannot be held at or about the place designated,
the justice of the peace in the precinct, two days before the election, by an
order, copies of which the justice of the peace shall immediately post in three
public places in the precinct, shall designate the place within the precinct
for holding the election. If there is no justice of the peace in the
precinct, or if the justice of the peace fails to do so, the election board of
the precinct shall designate and give notice of the place within the precinct
of holding the election. For any election in which there are no
candidates for elected office appearing on the ballot, the board may
consolidate polling places and precinct boards and may consolidate the
tabulation of results for that election if all of the following apply:

1. All affected voters are notified by mail of the
change at least thirty-three days before the election.

2. Notice of the change in polling places includes
notice of the new voting location, notice of the hours for voting on election
day and notice of the telephone number to call for voter assistance.

3. All affected voters receive information on early
voting that includes the application used to request an early voting ballot.

D. The board is not required to designate a polling
place for special district mail ballot elections held pursuant to article 8.1
of this chapter, but the board may designate one or more sites for voters to
deposit marked ballots until 7:00 p.m. on the day of the election.

E. Except as provided in subsection F of this
section, a public school shall provide sufficient space for use as a polling
place for any city, county or state election when requested by the officer in
charge of elections.

F. The principal of the school may deny a request to
provide space for use as a polling place for any city, county or state election
if, within two weeks after a request has been made, the principal provides a
written statement indicating a reason the election cannot be held in the
school, including any of the following:

1. Space is not available at the school.

2. The safety or welfare of the children would be
jeopardized.

G. Beginning in 2026, the department of
administration shall coordinate with state agencies and counties to provide
available and appropriate state-owned facilities for use as a voting
location for any city, county or state election when requested by the officer
in charge of elections.

H. The board shall make available to the public as a
public record a list of the polling places for all precincts in which the
election is to be held.

I. Except in the case of an emergency, any facility
that is used as a polling place on election day or that is used as an early
voting site during the period of early voting shall allow persons to
electioneer and engage in other political activity outside of the seventy-five
foot limit prescribed by section 16-515 in public areas and parking lots
used by voters. This subsection does not allow the temporary or
permanent construction of structures in public areas and parking lots or the
blocking or other impairment of access to parking spaces for voters. The county
recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall post on its website at
least two weeks before election day a list of those polling places in which
emergency conditions prevent electioneering and shall specify the reason the
emergency designation was granted and the number of attempts that were made to
find a polling place before granting an emergency designation. If
the polling place is not on the website list of polling places with emergency
designations, electioneering and other political activity shall be allowed
outside of the seventy-five foot limit. If an emergency arises
after the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections' initial
website posting, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections
shall update the website as soon as is practicable to include any new polling
places, shall highlight the polling place location on the website and shall
specify the reason the emergency designation was granted and the number of
attempts that were made to find a polling place before granting an emergency
designation.

J. For the purposes of this section, a county
recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall designate a polling
place as an emergency polling place and thus prohibit persons from
electioneering and engaging in other political activity outside of the seventy-five
foot limit prescribed by section 16-515 but inside the property of the
facility that is hosting the polling place if any of the following occurs:

1. An act of God renders a previously set polling
place as unusable.

2. A county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections has exhausted all options and there are no suitable facilities in a
precinct that are willing to be a polling place unless a facility can be given
an emergency designation.

K. The secretary of state shall provide through the
instructions and procedures manual adopted pursuant to section 16-452 the
maximum allowable wait time for any election that is subject to section 16-204
and provide for a method to reduce voter wait time at the polls in the primary
and general elections. The method shall consider at least all of the
following for primary and general elections in each precinct:

1. The number of ballots voted in the prior primary
and general elections.

2. The number of registered voters who voted early
in the prior primary and general elections.

3. The number of registered voters and the number of
registered voters who cast an early ballot for the current primary or general
election.

4. The number of registered voters whose early
ballots were tabulated on-site as prescribed in section 16-579.02
in the prior primary and general elections.

5. The number of election board members and clerks
and the number of rosters that will reduce voter wait time at the polls.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 15. Section 16-544, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-544.

Active early voting list; civil penalty; violation;
classification; definition

A. Any voter may request to be included on a list of
voters to receive an early ballot by mail for any election for which the county
voter registration roll is used to prepare the election
register. The county recorder of each county shall maintain the
active early voting list as part of the voter registration roll.

B. In order to be included on the active early
voting list, the voter shall make a written request specifically requesting
that the voter's name be added to the active early voting list for all
elections in which the applicant is eligible to vote. An early voter
request form shall conform to requirements prescribed in the instructions and
procedures manual issued pursuant to section 16-452. The
application shall allow for the voter to provide the voter's name, residence
address, mailing address in the voter's county of residence, date of birth and
signature and shall state that the voter is attesting that the voter is a
registered voter who is eligible to vote in the county of
residence. The voter shall not list a mailing address that is outside
of this state for the purpose of the active early voting list unless the voter
is an absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter as defined in the
uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act (P.L. 99-410; 52
United States Code section 20310). In lieu of the application, the
applicant may submit a written request that contains the required information.

C. On receipt of a request to be included on the
active early voting list, the county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections shall compare the signature on the request form with the voter's
signature on the voter's registration form and, if the request is from the
voter, shall mark the voter's registration file as an active early ballot
request.

D. Not less than ninety days before any polling
place election scheduled in March or
August

May
, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall
mail to all voters who are eligible for the election, who are not listed as
inactive and who are included on the active early voting list an election
notice by nonforwardable mail that is marked with the statement required by the
postmaster to receive an address correction notification. If an
election is not formally called by a jurisdiction by the one hundred eightieth
day before the election, the recorder or other officer in charge of elections
is not required to send the election notice. The notice shall include
the dates of the elections that are the subject of the notice, the dates that
the voter's ballot is expected to be mailed and the address where the ballot
will be mailed. If the upcoming election is a partisan open primary
election and the voter is not registered as a member of one of the political
parties that is recognized for purposes of that primary, the notice shall
include information on the procedure for the voter to designate a political
party ballot. The notice shall be delivered with return postage
prepaid and shall also include a means for the voter to do any of the
following:

1. Change the mailing address for the voter's ballot
to another location in the voter's county of residence.

2. Update the voter's residence address in the
voter's county of residence.

3. Request that the voter not be sent a ballot for
the upcoming election or elections indicated on the notice.

E. If the notice that is mailed to the voter is
returned undeliverable by the postal service, the county recorder or other
officer in charge of elections shall take the necessary steps to contact the
voter at the voter's new residence address in order to update that voter's
address or to move the voter to inactive status as prescribed in section 16-166,
subsection A. If a voter is moved to inactive status, the voter
shall be removed from the active early voting list and may not receive an early
ballot unless the voter updates or otherwise confirms the voter's registration
information. If the voter is removed from the active early voting
list, the voter shall only be added to the active early voting list again if
the voter submits a new request pursuant to this section.

F. Not later than the first day of early voting, the
county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall mail an early
ballot to all eligible voters who are not listed as inactive and who are
included on the active early voting list in the same manner prescribed in
section 16-542, subsection C. If the voter has not
returned the notice or otherwise notified the election officer within forty-five
days before the election that the voter does not wish to receive an early
ballot by mail for the election or elections indicated, the ballot shall
automatically be scheduled for mailing.

G. If a voter who is on the active early voting list
is not registered as a member of a recognized political party and fails to
notify the county recorder of the voter's choice for political party ballot
within forty-five days before a partisan open primary election, the
following apply:

1. The voter shall not automatically be sent a
ballot for that partisan open primary election only and the voter's name shall
remain on the active early voting list for future elections.

2. To receive an early ballot for the primary
election, the voter shall submit the voter's choice for political party ballot
to the county recorder.

H. After a voter has requested to be included on the
active early voting list, the voter shall be sent an early ballot by mail
automatically for any election at which a voter at that residence address is
eligible to vote until any of the following occurs:

1. The voter requests in writing to be removed from
the active early voting list.

2. The voter's registration or eligibility for
registration is moved to inactive status or canceled as otherwise provided by
law.

3. The notice sent by the county recorder or other
officer in charge of elections is returned undeliverable and the county
recorder or officer in charge of elections is unable to contact the voter to
determine the voter's continued desire to remain on the list.

4. The voter fails to vote an early ballot in all
elections for two consecutive election cycles. For the purposes of
this paragraph, "election" means any regular primary or regular
general election for which there was a federal race on the ballot or for which
a city or town candidate primary or first election or city or town candidate
second, general or runoff election was on the ballot. This paragraph
does not apply to:

(a) A special taxing district that is authorized
pursuant to section 16-191 to conduct its own elections.

(b) A special district mail ballot election that is
conducted pursuant to article 8.1 of this chapter.

I. A voter may make a written request at any time to
be removed from the active early voting list. The request shall
include the voter's name, residence address, date of birth and
signature. On receipt of a completed request to remove a voter from
the active early voting list, the county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections shall remove the voter's name from the list as soon as practicable.

J. An absent uniformed services voter or overseas
voter as defined in the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act
(P.L. 99-410; 52 United States Code section 20310) is eligible to be
placed on the active early voting list pursuant to this section.

K.
A
voter's failure to
vote an early ballot once received does not constitute
grounds to remove the voter from the active early voting list, except that a
county recorder shall remove a voter from the active early voting list if both
of the following apply:

1. The county recorder or other officer in charge of
elections complies with subsection M of this section.

2. The voter fails to vote using an early ballot in all
of the following elections for two consecutive election cycles:

(a) A regular primary and regular general election
for which there was a federal race on the ballot.

(b) A city or town candidate primary or first
election and a city or town candidate second, general or runoff election.

L. On or before January 15 of each odd-numbered
year, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall send a
notice to each voter who is on the active early voting list and who did not
vote an early ballot in all elections for two consecutive election cycles as
prescribed by subsection K of this section.� If the voter has provided the
voter's telephone or mobile phone number or email address to the county
recorder, the county recorder may additionally provide the notice to the voter
by telephone call, text message or email.� The notice shall inform the voter
that if the voter wishes to remain on the active early voting list, the voter
shall do both of the following with the notice received:

1. Confirm in writing the voter's desire to remain
on the active early voting list.

2. Return the completed notice to the county
recorder or other officer in charge of elections within ninety days after the
notice is sent to the voter. The notice shall be signed by the voter and shall
contain the voter's address and date of birth.

M. If a voter receives a notice as prescribed by
subsection L of this section and the voter fails to respond within the
ninety-day period, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections
shall remove the voter's name from the active early voting list.

N. A candidate, political committee or other
organization may distribute active early voting list request forms to
voters. If the active early voting list request forms include a
printed address for return, that address shall be the political subdivision
that will conduct the election. Failure to use the political
subdivision as the return addressee is punishable by a civil penalty of up to
three times the cost of the production and distribution of the active early
voting list request.

O. All original and completed active early voting
list request forms that are received by a candidate, political committee or
other organization shall be submitted within six business days after receipt by
a candidate or political committee or eleven days before the election day,
whichever is earlier, to the political subdivision that will conduct the
election. Any person, political committee or other organization that
fails to submit a completed active early voting list request form within the
prescribed time is subject to a civil penalty of up to $25 per day for each
completed form withheld from submittal. Any person who knowingly
fails to submit a completed active early voting list request form before the
submission deadline for the election immediately following the completion of
the form is guilty of a class 6 felony.

P. A person who receives an early ballot at an
address at which another person formerly resided, without voting the ballot or
signing the envelope, shall write "not at this address" on the
envelope and place the mail piece in a United States postal service collection
box or other mail receptacle. On receipt the county recorder or
other officer in charge of elections shall proceed in the manner prescribed in
subsection E of this section.

Q. When the county recorder receives confirmation
from another county that a person registered has registered to vote in that
other county, the county recorder shall remove that person from the active
early voting list.

R. If the county recorder receives credible
information that a person has registered to vote in a different county, the
county recorder shall confirm the person's voter registration with that other
county and, on confirmation, shall remove that person from the county's active
early voting list pursuant to subsection Q of this section.

S. For the purposes of this section, "election
cycle" means the two-year period beginning on January 1 in the year
after a statewide general election or, for cities and towns, the two-year
period beginning on the first day of the calendar quarter after the calendar
quarter in which the city's or town's second, runoff or general election is
scheduled and ending on the last day of the calendar quarter in which the
city's or town's immediately following second, runoff or general election is
scheduled, however that election is designated by the city or town.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 16. Section 16-822, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-822.

Precinct committeemen; eligibility; vacancy; duties; term

A. Any member of a recognized political party who is
a registered voter in the precinct is eligible to seek the office of precinct
committeeman of that party in that precinct.

B. If the number of persons who file nominating
petitions for an election to fill precinct committeeman positions is less than
or equal to the number of precinct committeeman positions, the county board of
supervisors may cancel the election for those positions not sooner than one
hundred five days before the election and appoint the person who filed the
nominating petition to fill the position. If no person has filed a
nominating petition to fill a position, the position is deemed vacant and shall
be filled as otherwise provided by law. A precinct committeeman who
is appointed pursuant to this subsection after filing a nominating petition
shall be deemed an elected precinct committeeman.

C. If the number of persons who file nominating
petitions for an election to fill precinct committeeman positions is more than
the number of precinct committeeman positions for a recognized political party
in a precinct, an additional ballot style shall be prepared for the political
party in that precinct, which shall include the office of precinct
committeeman. Only persons who are registered as members of that
political party in that precinct may vote that precinct committeeman ballot
style.

D. In addition to other provisions of law regarding
removal from office, a vacancy shall exist in the office of precinct
committeeman when the precinct committeeman moves from the precinct from which
elected or changes political party from the party in which the precinct
committeeman was elected.

E. The minimum duties of a precinct committeeman
shall be to assist the precinct committeeman's political party in voter
registration and to assist the voters of that political party to vote on
election days. Additional duties shall be as provided for in the state
committee bylaws of the precinct committeeman's political party.

F. The term of office of a precinct committeeman is
two years and
, through 2030,
begins on October 1 after
the primary election at which the precinct committeeman was a candidate and
continues until October 1 after the following primary election at which a
precinct committeeman is elected.�
Beginning in 2032, the term
of office of a precinct committeeman is two years and begins on July 1 after
the primary election at which the precinct committeeman was a candidate and
continues until July 1 after the following primary election at which a precinct
committeeman is elected.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 17. Subject to the requirements of article
IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 16-949, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-949.

Controls on spending from citizens clean elections fund

A. The commission shall not spend, on all costs
incurred under this article during a
particular

two
calendar year
period
, more than
five dollars

$5
times the number of
Arizona resident personal income tax returns filed during the
two

previous calendar
year

years
. The
commission may exceed this limit during a
two
calendar
year
period
, provided that it is offset by an equal
reduction of the limit during another
two
calendar year
period
during the same four-year period beginning January
1 immediately after a gubernatorial election.

B. The commission may use up to
ten
per cent

twenty percent
of the amount specified in
subsection A of this section for reasonable and necessary expenses of administration
and enforcement, including the activities specified in section 16-956,
subsection A, paragraphs 3 through 7 and subsections B and C. Any
portion of the
ten per cent

twenty percent

not used for this purpose shall remain in the fund.

C. The commission may apply up to
ten
per cent

twenty percent
of the amount specified in
subsection A of this section for reasonable and necessary expenses associated
with public education regarding participation as a candidate or a contributor,
or regarding the functions, purpose and technical aspects of the act. Reasonable
and necessary expenditures made pursuant to section 16-956 are not
included in this subsection.

D. The commission may spend monies in the fund for
the reasonable and necessary expenses to implement the act but shall not use
monies in the fund to promote the benefits of the clean elections act.�
Expenditures made pursuant to subsection C of this section or in section 16-956,
subsection A are deemed not to constitute promoting the benefits of the clean
elections act.� Expenditures pursuant to this subsection shall not be included
in the limits prescribed in subsection C of this section.

E. The state treasurer shall administer a citizens
clean elections fund from which costs incurred under this article shall be
paid.� The auditor general shall review the monies in, payments into and
expenditures from the fund
no

not

less often than every four years.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 18. Subject to the requirements of article
IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 16-951, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-951.

Clean elections funding

A. At the beginning of the primary election period,
the commission shall pay from the fund to the campaign account of each
candidate who qualifies for clean elections funding:

1. For a candidate who qualifies for clean elections
funding for a party primary election, an amount equal to the original primary
election spending limit.

2. For an independent candidate who qualifies for
clean elections funding, an amount equal to seventy percent of the sum of the
original primary election spending limit and the original general election
spending limit.

3. For a qualified participating candidate who is
unopposed for an office in that candidate's primary, in the primary of any
other party and by any opposing independent candidate, an amount equal to
five dollars

$5
times the number of
qualifying contributions for that candidate certified by the commission.

B. At any time after the
first day of
January

one hundred fifty third day after the beginning
of the qualifying period
of an election year, any candidate who has met
the requirements of section 16-950 may sign and cause to be filed a
nomination paper in the form specified by section 16-311, subsection A,
with a nominating petition and signatures, instead of filing such papers after
the earliest time set for filing specified by that subsection.
Upon

on
such
filing and verification of the signatures, the commission shall pay the amount
specified in subsection A of this section immediately, rather than waiting for
the beginning of the primary election period.

C. At the beginning of the general election period,
the commission shall pay from the fund to the campaign account of each
candidate who qualifies for clean elections funding for the general election,
except those candidates identified in subsection A, paragraph 2 or subsection D
of this section, an amount equal to the original general election spending
limit.

D. At the beginning of the general election period,
the commission shall pay from the fund to the campaign account of a qualified
participating candidate who has not received
funds

monies
pursuant to subsection A,
paragraph 3 of this section and who is unopposed by any other party nominee or
any opposing independent candidate an amount equal to
five
dollars

$5
times the number of qualifying
contributions for that candidate certified by the commission.

E. The special
original general election spending limit, for a candidate who has received
funds

monies

pursuant to subsection A, paragraphs 2 or 3 or subsection D of this section,
shall be equal to the amount that the commission is obligated to pay to that
candidate.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 19. Subject to the requirements of article
IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 16-961, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-961.

Definitions

A. The terms
"candidate's
campaign committee,"
"contribution,"
"expenditures,"
"exploratory committee,"

"independent expenditure," "personal monies
,
"

"political committee"
and "statewide
office"
are defined

have the same
meanings PRESCRIBED
in section 16-901.

B. 1. "Election cycle" means
the period between successive general elections for a particular office.

2. "Exploratory period" means the period
beginning on the day after a general election and ending the day before the
start of the qualifying period.

3. "Qualifying period" means
:

(
a
) Through
2030,
the period beginning on the first day of August in a year
preceding an election and ending one week before the primary election.

(
b
) beginning
in 2032, the period beginning one year before the primary election and ending
one week before the primary election.

4. "Primary election period" means the
nine-week period ending on the day of the primary election.

5. "General election period" means the
period beginning on the day after the primary election and ending on the day of
the general election.

6. For any recall election, the qualifying period
shall begin when the election is called and last for thirty days, there shall
be no primary election period and the general election period shall extend from
the day after the end of the qualifying period to the day of the recall
election. For recall elections, any reference to "general election"
in this article shall be treated as if referring to the recall election.

C. 1. "Participating candidate"
means a candidate who becomes certified as a participating candidate pursuant
to section 16-947.

2. "Nonparticipating candidate" means a
candidate who does not become certified as a participating candidate pursuant
to section 16-947.

3. Any limitation of this article that is applicable
to a participating candidate or a nonparticipating candidate shall also apply
to that candidate's campaign committee or exploratory committee.

D. "Commission" means the citizens clean
elections commission established pursuant to section 16-955.

E. "Fund" means the citizens clean
elections fund defined by this article.

F. 1. "Party nominee" means a
person who has been nominated by a political party pursuant to section 16-301
or 16-343.

2. "Independent candidate" means a
candidate who has properly filed nominating papers and nominating petitions
with signatures pursuant to section 16-341.

3. "Unopposed" means with reference to an
election for:

(a) A member of the house of representatives,
opposed by no more than one other candidate who has qualified for the ballot
and who is running in the same district.

(b) A member of the corporation commission, opposed
by a number of candidates who have qualified for the ballot that is fewer than
the number of corporation commission seats open at that election and for which
the term of office ends on the same date.

(c) All other offices, opposed by no other candidate
who has qualified for the ballot and who is running in that district or running
for that same office and term.

G. "Primary election spending limits"
means:

1. For a candidate for the legislature,
twelve thousand nine hundred twenty-one dollars

$12,921
.

2. For a candidate for mine inspector,
forty-one thousand three hundred forty-nine dollars

$41,349
.

3. For a candidate for treasurer, superintendent of
public instruction or the corporation commission,
eighty-two
thousand six hundred eighty dollars

$82,680
.

4. For a candidate for secretary of state or
attorney general,
one hundred sixty-five thousand three
hundred seventy-eight dollars

$165,378
.

5. For a candidate for governor,
six
hundred thirty-eight thousand two hundred twenty-two dollars

$638,222
.

H. "General election spending limits"
means amounts fifty
per cent

percent

greater than the amounts specified in subsection G of this section.

I. 1. "Original" spending limit
means a limit specified in subsections G and H of this section, as adjusted
pursuant to section 16-959, or a special amount expressly set for a
particular candidate by a provision of this title.

2. "Adjusted" spending limit means an
original spending limit as further adjusted pursuant to section 16-952.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 20. Section 41-563.02, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
41-563.02.

Elections for expenditures in excess of expenditure limitation

A. For any election called pursuant to article IX,
section 20, subsection (2), Constitution of Arizona, the governing board
calling such election
shall
, in addition to any other
election requirements prescribed by law,
shall

prepare and print a publicity pamphlet concerning the
excess expenditure that is subject to a vote of the people. The governing board
calling the election shall cause to be distributed not less than ten days nor
more than thirty days
prior to

before

the election one copy of such publicity pamphlet to each household containing a
registered voter within the applicable political subdivision. Except
as otherwise
noted

provided
in this
section, the cost of printing, delivering and distributing such publicity
pamphlets is a public expense of the applicable political subdivision.

B. The publicity pamphlet required by this section
shall contain the following:

1. The date of the election.

2. Polling places and the times such polling places
are open.

3. A true copy of the title and text of the measure
to be voted
upon

on
, in the form in which the measure will appear on the
ballot. Such text shall indicate material deleted, if any, by
printing such material with a line drawn through the center of the letters of
such material, and shall indicate material added or new material by printing
the letters of such material in capital letters.

4. The form in which the measure to be voted
upon

on
will
appear on the ballot, the official title, the descriptive title prepared by the
clerk of the board of supervisors in the case of counties or the city or town
clerk in the case of cities and towns, and the number by which the measure will
be designated.

5. The amount of the expenditures
which

that
exceed the amount allowed
pursuant to article IX, section 20, subsection (1), Constitution of Arizona.

6. A statement of the purpose or purposes for which
the excess expenditures were or will be expended and the source of revenues
used or to be used to finance the excess expenditures.

7. For elections called pursuant to article IX,
section 20, subsection (2), paragraph (b), Constitution of Arizona, a statement
that if the excess expenditure is not approved by a majority of the qualified
electors voting at such election, the governing board shall for the following
fiscal year reduce expenditures below the expenditures limitation allowed
pursuant to article IX, section 20, subsection (1), Constitution of Arizona, by
the excess amount.

8. For elections called pursuant to article IX,
section 20, subsection (2), paragraph (c), Constitution of Arizona, arguments
for and against the proposed excess expenditures, not to exceed two hundred
words. Arguments for the proposed excess expenditures shall be
prepared by the governing board. Arguments against the proposed
excess expenditures shall be provided by those in opposition. Arguments for or
against the excess expenditures shall be submitted to the governing board of
the political subdivision at least thirty days
prior to

before
the scheduled election. The person, group or
organization filing an argument shall not be required to pay any cost of the
paper nor any cost of printing the argument.

C. For any election called pursuant to article IX,
section 20, subsection (2), Constitution of Arizona, in addition to any other
ballot requirements prescribed by law, the clerk of the board of supervisors in
the case of counties or the city or town clerk in the case of cities and towns
shall cause to be printed on the official ballot the following:

1. The official title and number of the measure to
be voted
upon

on

at the ensuing election.

2. A statement that the excess expenditure to be
voted
upon

on

is being referred by the governing board of the applicable political
subdivision.

3. A descriptive title containing a summary of the
principal provisions of the measure to be voted
upon

on
, not to exceed fifty words,
which shall be prepared by the clerk of the board of supervisors in the case of
counties or the city or town clerk in the case of cities and towns.

D. Except as otherwise provided in this section, any
special election called for the purposes of article IX, section 20, subsection
(2), Constitution of Arizona, shall be conducted as nearly as practicable in
the manner prescribed for general elections in title 16, except that a special
election shall be held on the third Tuesday in May.�
Beginning
in 2032, the special election PRESCRIBED by this SUBSECTION shall be held on
the Tuesday before the last Monday in May.

E. For the purposes of article IX, section 20,
subsection (2), paragraph (b), Constitution of Arizona, if a disaster resulting
in excess expenditures occurs within ninety days
prior to

before
a regular or special election, such excess expenditures
shall not be put to a vote of the people until the next subsequent regular or
special election.

F. The governing body shall separately budget for
the expenditures approved pursuant to this section and may not expend any
amounts of money subject to the expenditure limitation in excess of the
expenditure limitation calculated without regard to the approved override
amount unless such expenditures are made for the purposes stated in the
publicity pamphlet.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 21. Section 42-17056, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
42-17056.

Initial base levy limit if no primary property taxes were levied
in the preceding tax year; subsequent levy amount

A. If a county, city, town or community college
district did not levy primary property taxes in the preceding tax year, the
governing body shall submit a proposed amount to be raised by primary property
taxes for approval of the voters.

B.
Through 2031,
the election
shall be held on the third Tuesday in May
, and beginning in
2032, the election shall be held on the Tuesday before the last Monday in May,
and each election shall be held
before the beginning of the fiscal year
in as nearly as practicable the same manner as prescribed by title 35, chapter
3, article 3. The ballot shall state that if the amount is approved
by the voters, it will be the base for determining levy limitations for the
county, city, town or district for subsequent fiscal years.

C. If a majority of the qualified electors voting
approve the proposed levy amount for primary property taxes, the levy
applicable for the county, city, town or district for the next fiscal year
shall be an amount not exceeding the approved amount.

D. On acceptance by the voters, the governing body
shall send a copy of the approved resolution to the property tax oversight
commission.

E. If the proposed levy amount is not approved, the
county, city, town or community college district shall not levy a primary
property tax for that year.

F. At least twenty but not more than thirty-five
years after the date of an initial approval pursuant to this section, a
community college district with a primary property tax levy that was initially
established pursuant to this section may resubmit a proposed amount to be
raised by primary property taxes for approval by the voters. The proposed
amount must be less than or equal to two times the otherwise authorized levy
amount for the same year. The election shall be conducted as prescribed in
subsection B of this section. If a majority of the qualified
electors voting:

1. Approve the proposed levy amount, the levy
applicable for the district for:

(a) The first tax year following approval pursuant
to this paragraph must be less than or equal to the previously approved amount
plus one-third of the difference between the previously approved amount and the
amount approved pursuant to this paragraph.

(b) The second tax year following approval pursuant
to this paragraph must be less than or equal to the previously approved amount
plus two-thirds of the difference between the previously approved amount and
the amount approved pursuant to this paragraph.

(c) The third tax year following approval pursuant
to this paragraph and each subsequent tax year must be less than or equal to
the amount approved pursuant to this paragraph.

2. Disapprove the proposed levy amount, the district
shall levy a primary property tax based on the previously authorized levy and
may not resubmit another proposed amount until at least two years after the
proposed levy amount was disapproved.

G. This section does
not apply to community college tuition financing districts formed pursuant to
section 15-1409, except that the property tax oversight commission shall
set a property tax levy limit that is not less than the amount required
pursuant to section 15-1409, subsection C.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 22. Section 42-17057, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
42-17057.

Computing new levy limits in the case of county division or
consolidation; election on revised levy limit

A. In the event of a
division of a county into two or more new counties or the consolidation of
counties, the property tax oversight commission shall determine the maximum
allowable levy of primary property taxes in each new county for the first full
fiscal year after the new county governments are established by:

1. Computing the maximum levy allowable for the
fiscal year under section 42-17051 for the old county or counties,
assuming no division or consolidation had occurred.

2. Assigning that maximum amount to the new county,
in the case of a consolidation, or apportioning that maximum amount among the
new counties, in the case of a division, according to their respective net
assessed limited property valuations.

B. The amounts thus assigned to the new counties are
the levy limits for
the

purposes
of this article for that fiscal year.

C. On or before April 1 of the first full fiscal
year after the new county government is established, the board of supervisors
of a new county, by a two-thirds vote, may call a special election to submit a
revised levy limit to the qualified electors of the county.�
Through
2031,
the special election shall be held on the third Tuesday in May
, and beginning in 2032, the special election shall be held on the
Tuesday before the last Monday in May
.� Immediately after calling the
special

election the board shall
publicize and distribute to the registered voters of the county information
regarding the date and polling places of the
special

election and a comparison of the current levy limit and the proposed levy
limit. The ballot shall be printed with the question "Shall the proposed
levy limit be adopted for _______________ county?" followed by squares
marked "yes" and "no" in which the voter may indicate a
vote for or against the proposition.� If a majority of the voters voting:

1. Approves the proposed levy limit, it shall be
applied to the county for all purposes under this article for the next fiscal
year and is the basis from which to determine the levy limit under section 42-17051
for subsequent fiscal years.

2. Rejects the
proposed levy limit, the levy limit for the county assigned pursuant to
subsection A of this section is the basis from which to determine the levy
limit under section 42-17051 for subsequent fiscal years.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 23.
Requirements for
enactment; three-fourths vote

Pursuant to article IV, part 1,
section 1, Constitution of Arizona, sections 16-949, 16-951 and 16-961, Arizona
Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, are effective only on the affirmative
vote of at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the
legislature.