Bill Text: AZ HB2722 | 2021 | Fifty-fifth Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Emergency voting; manual; photographs; electioneering
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-02 - House read second time [HB2722 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2021-HB2722-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: emergency voting; manual; photographs; electioneering |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session 2021
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HB 2722 |
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Introduced by Representative Bolick
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AN ACT
amending sections 16-411, 16-452 and 16-515, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to conduct of elections.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 16-411, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
16-411. Designation of election precincts and polling places; voting centers; electioneering; wait times
A. The board of supervisors of each county, on or before October 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. The election precinct boundaries shall be so 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.
B. Not less than 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 permanent early voters pursuant to section 16-544 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. 4. 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) An emergency voting center may be ESTABLISHED only on occurrence of a genuine emergency such as war, civil unrest or NATURAL disaster that MAKES it likely that large numbers of voters will be substantially impaired in their ability to vote on election day as compared to other elections.
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. 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.
H. 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 shall does not be construed to permit 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 permitted outside of the seventy-five foot limit.
I. If an emergency arises after the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections' initial website posting of polling places, 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 if any emergency designation was granted and the number of attempts that were made to find a polling place before granting an emergency designation. This subsection does not allow the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to ESTABLISH emergency voting centers without the approval of the board of supervisors.
I. 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.
J. 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 election board members and clerks and the number of rosters that will reduce voter wait time at the polls.
Sec. 2. Section 16-452, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
16-452. Rules; instructions and procedures manual; approval of manual; field check and review of systems; violation; classification
A. After consultation with each county board of supervisors or other officer in charge of elections, the secretary of state shall prescribe rules to achieve and maintain the maximum degree of correctness, impartiality, uniformity and efficiency on the procedures for early voting and voting, and of producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots. The secretary of state shall also adopt rules regarding fax transmittal of unvoted ballots, ballot requests, voted ballots and other election materials to and from absent uniformed and overseas citizens and shall adopt rules regarding internet receipt of requests for federal postcard applications prescribed by section 16-543.
B. The rules shall be prescribed in an official instructions and procedures manual to be issued not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year immediately preceding the general election. Before its issuance, the manual shall be approved by the governor and the attorney general. The secretary of state shall submit the manual to the governor and the attorney general not later than October 1 of the year before each general election.
c. the instructions and procedures manual shall provide for TRANSPARENCY and election security to the maximum extent allowed by law. If any provision of the instructions and procedures manual conflicts with any statute, the provision of the instructions and procedures manual is unenforceable and statute prevails.
C. D. A person who violates any rule adopted pursuant to this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
D. E. The secretary of state and the legislature shall provide personnel who are experts in electronic voting systems and procedures and in electronic voting system security to field check and review electronic voting systems and recommend needed statutory and procedural changes, including changes in the instructions and procedures manual.
Sec. 3. Section 16-515, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
16-515. "Seventy-five foot limit" notices; posting; violation; classification
A. Except as prescribed in this section and section 16-580, a person shall not be allowed to remain inside the seventy-five foot limit while the polls are open, except for the purpose of voting, and except the election officials, one representative at any one time of each political party represented on the ballot who has been appointed by the county chairman of that political party and the challengers allowed by law, and no electioneering may not occur within the seventy-five foot limit. Voters having cast their ballots shall promptly move outside the seventy-five foot limit.
B. The board of supervisors shall furnish, with the ballots for each polling place, three notices, printed in letters not less than two inches high, with the heading: "Seventy-five foot limit" and underneath that heading the following:
No person shall be allowed to remain inside these limits while the polls are open, except for the purpose of voting, and except the election officials, one representative at any one time of each political party represented on the ballot who has been appointed by the county chairman of such political party, and the challengers allowed by law. Voters having cast their ballots shall at once retire without the seventy-five foot limit. A person violating any provision of this notice is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
C. A minor voting in a simulated election at a polling place is subject to the same seventy-five foot limit restrictions prescribed for a voter. Persons supervising or working in a simulated election in which minors vote may remain within the seventy-five foot limit of the polling place. The inspector for the polling place shall exercise authority over all election and simulated election related activities at the polling place.
D. For an election that is held by an Indian tribe and that is held at a polling place at the same time and on the same date as any other election, the following apply:
1. A person who is voting is subject to the same seventy-five foot limit restrictions prescribed for other voters.
2. An election official for the tribal election may remain within the seventy-five foot limit for the polling place.
E. With the permission of the voter, a minor may enter and remain within the seventy-five foot limit in order to accompany a voter into a polling place, an on-site early voting facility and a voting booth while the voter is voting.
F. Notwithstanding any other law, an election official, a representative of a political party who has been appointed by the county chairman of that political party or a challenger who is authorized by law to be within the seventy-five foot limit as prescribed by this section shall not wear, carry or display materials that identify or express support for or opposition to a candidate, a political party or organization, a ballot question or any other political issue and shall not electioneer within the seventy-five foot limit of a polling place.
G. Notwithstanding section 16-1018, while within the seventy-five foot limit:
1. A person may not take photographs or videos while within the seventy-five foot limit of other voters or other voters' ballots.
2. A person may take photographs or videos of himself, that person's own ballot or any election worker.
H. Any person violating this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
I. For the purposes of this section, electioneering occurs when an individual knowingly, intentionally, by verbal expression and in order to induce or compel another person to vote in a particular manner or to refrain from voting expresses support for or opposition to a candidate who appears on the ballot in that election, a ballot question that appears on the ballot in that election or a political party with one or more candidates who appear on the ballot in that election.
