precinct committeemen; vacancy; application

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text specifies that legislative district chairmen can submit lists only for districts organized pursuant to section 16-823; in all other cases, the county chairman submits the list.

SB1825: Rules for Filling Precinct Committeeman Vacancies

This bill allows legislative district chairmen or county chairmen to submit names to fill empty precinct committeeman seats and requires the county board of supervisors to make an appointment within 30 days.

What This Bill Does

• Allows a list of names for vacancies to be submitted by either a legislative district chairman (if organized) or a county chairman, instead of only allowing county chairmen.
• Requires people who want the job to send an application to the specific chairman authorized to create the list of candidates.
• Mandates that the county board of supervisors must choose a replacement from the submitted list within 30 days after receiving a complete and correct list.
• Updates state law sections regarding how political parties handle these vacancies and applications.

Who It Names or Affects

• County boards of supervisors
• Legislative district chairmen (where organized)
• County party chairmen
• People applying to be precinct committeemen

Terms To Know

Precinct Committeeman

A person chosen by voters in a specific area to help their political party with voter registration and election day duties.

Vacancy

An empty office that needs to be filled because the previous holder left or could not serve, as determined by the county board of supervisors.

Legislative District Chairman

The leader of a political party within a specific legislative district who can now submit names for vacancies if that district is organized under state law.

Limits and Unknowns

• This bill does not change the rules for how precinct committeemen are originally elected in primary elections.
• The text states there is no expected cost to the state General Fund from this law.
• The specific date when this law becomes effective depends on a general effective date set by other laws.

Official Summary Text

SB1825 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
GOV������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1825

precinct
committeemen; vacancy; application

Purpose

Requires the
list of names to fill a vacancy for a precinct committeeman to be submitted by
a legislative district chairman or a county chairman, rather than only a county
chairman. Requires a vacancy for a precinct committeeman to be filled by the
county board of supervisors (county BOS) within 30 days after the date the list
of names is submitted.

Background

Any member of a
recognized political party who is a registered voter in the precinct is
eligible to seek the office of precinct committeeman for the political party in
the voter's precinct. The minimum duties of a precinct committeeman are to
assist the precinct committeeman's political party in voter registration and to
assist the voters of the political party to vote on election days. Additional
duties are as outlined in the party's state committee bylaws. The contest for
office of precinct committeeman is on a primary election ballot. At a primary
election, the members of a political party who are entitled to representation
and who reside in each precinct must choose one to serve as county precinct
committeeman and one additional precinct committeeman for every 125 registered
voters in the party in the precinct on January 2 of the year of the general
election. A political party may also establish a district party committee for
any legislative district.

The county BOS,
on recommendation of the county chairman, or the recommendation of a committee
designated in the bylaws, such as a legislative district committee, must
determine when a vacancy exists in the office of precinct committeeman. If a
vacancy exists, then the vacancy must be filled by the county BOS from a list
of names submitted by the county chairman of the appropriate political party.
Only a precinct committeeman who is elected at the primary election before the
date of the state or county organizing meeting may vote at the meeting (A.R.S.

��
16-821
;

16-822
;
and
16-823
).

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

Provisions

1.

Requires the list of names for a vacancy for a precinct committeeman to
be submitted by the legislative district chairman or the county chairman,
rather than only the county chairman.

2.

Requires a vacancy for a precinct committeeman to be filled by the
county BOS from the list of names within 30 days after the date the complete
and correct list of names is submitted to the county BOS.

3.

Requires a person who wishes to fill the precinct committeeman vacancy
to submit an application to the chairman who is authorized to submit the list
of names for the vacancy.

4.

Makes technical changes.

5.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by
Committee of the Whole

�

Requires the county BOS to fill the vacancy for the office of
precinct committeeman within 30 days, rather than 5 days, after the complete
and correct list of names is submitted.

Senate Action

GOV�������������� 2/18/26����� DP������ 5-0-2

Prepared by Senate Research

March 2, 2026

AN/ci

Current Bill Text

SB1825 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

precinct
committeemen; vacancy; application

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1825

AN
ACT

amending section 16-821, Arizona Revised Statutes;
relating to political parties.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section
1.
1. Section
16-821, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-821.

County committee; vacancy in office of precinct committeeman

A. At the primary election the members of a
political party
who are
entitled to representation
pursuant to section 16-804
residing

and
who reside
in each precinct shall choose one of their number as a county
precinct committeeman, and the members shall choose one additional precinct
committeeman for each one hundred twenty-five voters or major fraction
thereof
who are
registered in the party in the precinct
as reported pursuant to section 16-168, subsection
G

H
on January 2 of the year in which the general election
is held. The whole number of precinct committeemen of a political
party shall constitute the county committee of the party.

B. The board of supervisors
upon

on
the recommendation of the county chairman, or the
recommendation of a committee designated in the bylaws of the county committee
for that purpose, shall determine when a vacancy exists in the office of
precinct committeeman. If a vacancy exists, the vacancy shall be
filled by the board of supervisors from a list of names submitted by the
county

legislative district
chairman
for a district that is organized pursuant to section 16-823, or
by the county chairman, in all other cases,
of the appropriate political
party
within
thirty days after the date on
which the
complete and correct list of names is submitted
to the board of supervisors
.
A person who
wishes to fill the precinct committeeman vacancy shall submit an application to
the chairman who is authorized to submit the list of names for that vacancy.
�Only
a precinct committeeman
who is
elected at the primary
election
prior to

before
the date of
a state or county committee organizing meeting shall be
permitted

allowed
to vote at
such

the
meeting. The criteria used to establish when a
vacancy exists in the office of precinct committeeman shall be as established
in section 38-291.
END_STATUTE