Call to action!

• SB1477 elections; manual audit revisions (Senator Johnson and Senator Gray) is on the Senate Judiciary Agenda for Monday February 25, 2008 at 1:30 PM.  Please support—sign in on the internet to make a comment and/or attend the hearing.
• SB1395 orders of protection; animals strike all bill for elections (Senator Johnson) Creates provision for graphic scanning of 10% of early, provisional and polling place ballots for purposes on maintaining the transparency of the vote counting process. On Senate Judiciary Agenda for Monday February 25, 2008 at 1:30 PM.  Please support—sign in on the internet to make a comment and/or attend the hearing.
• HB 2364 election law amendments. (Representatives Crandall, Reagan: Adams, Konopnicki)  Ask for resolution of ARS 16-445 language 11E language to remain and change the time frame from 6 months to 3 years. Request a longer time for a voter to respond to a notice from the county recorder before being moved to the inactive list or being removed from the voter registration file—currently 35 days is proposed. Ask for 120 days and a second notice to be sent before a person is removed.
• SB1053 elections; counting center; observation. (Senators Gray and Blendu.)  Negotiations taking place to limit the number of observers that will be allowed in nonpartisan elections.  Currently there is no requirement for oversight of nonpartisan elections like bond issues, city races and school board elections. Support effort s to gain oversight.

• HB 2364 election law amendments. (Representatives Crandall, Reagan: Adams, Konopnicki) Makes a number of changes to election law.  Makes changes to the election date concerning a vacancy for a U.S. representative of Arizona.  Makes changes to dates in the voter registration file concerning when a person can be moved to the inactive list and eventually removed.  Eliminates of ARS 16-445 Section 11 E. Specifically strikes this language:  Each program tape or disc or any other material submitted to the secretary of state shall be returned to the county, city or town within six months after the close of the election for which it was submitted except: 1. When a court ordered recount is pending. 2. When a restraining order is in effect.  3. When any other legal action is pending.  The bottom line is that these changes could bolster the argument that no one can examine what is sent to the Secretary of State.  The material sent to the Secretary of State would have been important to the Pima County Democratic Party's examination of fraud in the RTA election.  That material was sent back to Pima County where it "disappeared."  Subsection A would not require Pima County to destroy evidence because the Secretary of State would destroy it for them.  Passed out of House Judiciary 2-21-08. OPPOSE 

• SB1053 elections; counting center; observation. (Senators Gray and Blendu.) Adds a new provision to state law that all proceedings at the counting center shall be under the observation of a representative of a candidate for nonpartisan office, a representative of a political committee in support of or in opposition to a ballot measure, proposition or question.  Current law specifies representatives of each political party and the public.  The bill provides for observers in non partisan elections. Passed out of Senate Judiciary. SUPPORT

• SB1395 orders of protection; animals strike all bill for elections (Senator Johnson) Creates provision for graphic scanning of 10% of early, provisional and polling place ballots for purposes on maintaining the transparency of the vote counting process. SUPPORT

• SB1477 elections; manual audit revisions (Senator Johnson and Senator Gray) Expands the hand count from 1% to 2% or ten thousand for early ballots to conform with the 2% manual audit of the precinct-cast ballots. On Senate Judiciary agenda for 2-25-08. SUPPORT

• SB1061 elected official; print; visual media (Senator Waring) The intention of this law is to prevent people from using their position as elected officials to get essentially free campaign advertising.  States that an elected official of any elective office in this state shall not use public monies, or cause public monies to be used, in any print media announcements, visual medium announcements, broadcast media announcements, website campaign or similar type of general public communication that refers to the elected official or any employee of the elected official, unless otherwise provided by law.  No action has been taken.  SUPPORT

• SB1071 sample ballot stripe; primary elections (Senator Gray) An emergency measure that allows the official sample primary election ballot to be printed on white paper with a different colored stripe for each party represented on the ballot.  According to the Arizona Association of Counties, the boards of supervisors anticipate a cost savings that may decrease monies spent from the state General Fund. Passed out of Senate and transmitted to House. SUPPORT

• SB 1059 elections; counting center video, multiple. (Senator Harper) Corrects conflicting enactments relating to live video recording of ballots at the counting center.  Passed out of Senate Judiciary and Rules.

• SB1162 elections; registration information (Senator Gray)  Allows the release of the unique voter identification number from the voter registration list.  Kyrsten Sinema is supporting this bill.  While the language is confusing, the legislators believe this will “fix” a new problem of interpretation of the statute 16-168.

• SB1193 congressional vacancy; election date (Senator Gray) States that if there is a vacancy in the U.S. House from Arizona and a general election is not scheduled within 6 months, the Governor shall call a special primary and a special general election be held no less than 60 instead of 75 days after the occurrence of the vacancy. Passed out of Senate Judiciary and Rules.

• SB1211 primary election date; conforming changes (Senator Johnson and Senator Cheuvront Changes the date of certain elections from the eighth Tuesday to the ninth Tuesday before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  Passed out of Senate Judiciary and Rules. 

• HB2213 uniformed overseas voters; electronic transmittal. (Representative Paton Adds “other electronic format” be allowed for early ballots and not just fax for persons who are subject to the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act of 1986. In addition, states that the secretary of state shall provide in the procedures manual issued emergency procedures regarding the early balloting process for persons who are subject to the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act of 1986. Passed through House and transmitted to Senate.

• HB 2257 precinct registers; information; fee. (Rep. Hershberger) Bill reduces the price of official electronic copies of precinct lists from ten cents per name to one cent per name. Passed out of House Judiciary. SUPPORT

• HB2305 ranked choice voting.  (Representatives Sinema, Ableser, Campbell CH, Lujan: Lopes, Meza, Miranda B.)  Creates language to enact ranked choice voting. Unlikely to move. SUPPORT 

• This is not an exhaustive list of all election bills. Double check agendas on www.azleg.gov. Search for bill.  You can comment on any bill if you sign-up at the kiosks at the State Capitol and then you can make comments from home via internet at this address http://alistrack.azleg.gov/rts/login.asp.