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SB1687 - 572R - S Ver
Senate Engrossed
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 16-201, 16-204,
16-206, 16-311, 16-314, 16-322 and 16-341,
Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to election dates.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. 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
2028 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. 2. 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
and later
, the second to
last
Tuesday in July.
Beginning
in
2028 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
2027
, the second to last
Tuesday
in July.
Beginning in
2028 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. 3. Section 16-206, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
16-206.
Election day
A.
Through 2026,
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
2028 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. 4. 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 2026,
not less than one hundred twenty nor more than
one hundred fifty days before the primary election
and beginning
in 2028, 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 2027,
not less than one
hundred twenty nor more than one hundred fifty days before the election
and beginning in 2028, 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. 5. 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
2026,
not less than one hundred twenty nor more than one hundred fifty
days before the primary election
and beginning in 2028, 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. 6. 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 2027,
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 2028, 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 2026,
the count that is reported on January 2 of the
year in which the general election is held
and beginning in
2028, 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. 7. 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
2026,
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 2028, 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