House of Representatives

HB 2078

presidential preference election

Sponsors: Representative Jarrett

DP	Committee on Judiciary
DPA	Caucus and COW
X	As Passed the House

HB 2078 codifies a 1999 Attorney General opinion that concluded that Arizona’s open primary law does not apply to presidential preference elections. The bill also authorizes counties to carry out the presidential preference election by mail only.

Provisions

· Provides that Arizona’s open primary law does not apply to presidential preference elections.

· Strikes language requiring a person seeking nomination as a candidate for President to file proof of qualification with the Federal Election Commission for primary matching monies.

· Removes outdated language

· Narrows the length of time an elector has to request an early ballot by one week.

· Removes requirement that a county use only half of its usual polling places during the presidential preference election. Authorizes the officer in charge of elections to conduct the preference election by mail, and sets forth procedures to do so.

· Specifies that voter registration rolls revision procedures are to be included in budget requests by the Secretary of State and counties. Increases the amount of reimbursement charges incurred by counties.

· Creates a section of statute for voter registration rolls revision procedures.

· Makes technical and conforming changes.

HB 2078 passed the Judiciary Committee unamended.

HB 2078 was amended in the Committee of the Whole as follows:

· Changes an erroneous reference to on-site voting to specify that early voting begins 15 days before the presidential preference election.

· Allows counties at least 15 days to mail out the ballots for the presidential preference election.

·

·

· ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------

· 44th Legislature

· Second Regular Session 2 February 20, 2001

·

· ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------