SB1051 - 452R - House Bill Summary

House of Representatives

SB 1051

clean elections; voter pamphlet

Sponsors: Senators Jarrett, Petersen; Representative Anderson: Senator Smith

DP	Committee on Judiciary
dpa	Caucus and COW
x	Third Read	This bill as introduced contains *PROP 105 and Emergency clauses.*
	As Passed the House

SB 1051 requires the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, instead of the Board of Supervisors, to mail candidate information packets to every registered voter. SB 1051 is an emergency measure and contains a Prop 105 clause.

Current Status

SB 1051 passed the Judiciary Committee unamended.

SB 1051 passed Committee of the Whole with a technical and conforming change recommended by the Rules Committee.

History

In November 1998, Arizona voters approved the Citizen’s Clean Elections Act, a ballot proposition establishing a system for the public funding of election campaigns for political candidates who voluntarily participate in a system to limit campaign spending and fundraising in statewide and state legislative elections. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission is responsible for voter education and enforcement with regard to publicly funded elections. One responsibility is to work in conjunction with a county recorder to mail a candidate informational packet to registered voters with early ballots.

Provisions

§ Removes the requirement that the Citizens Clean Elections Commission consult with county recorders for mailing candidate informational packets to voters and places the responsibility for publishing the candidate information packets solely on the Commission.

§ [d1] Requires that the Commission mail an informational packet before the primary or general election to registered voters that contains the names of every candidate for statewide and legislative election regardless of whether the candidate is a participating candidate.

§ Requires the Commission to mail one copy of each document to every household with a registered voter.

§ Stipulates that for primary and general elections, the voter information packets are not required to be mailed on a specific day but, in any event, must be mailed in time to be received by the household before the earliest date for receipt of early ballots for voters in either the primary or general election.

§ Requires that the documents published by the Commission comply with the following:

ü For any candidate who does not submit a message, the words No Statement Submitted shall be printed with the candidate’s name.

ü The document’s cover must contain Citizens Clean Elections Commission Voter Education Guide, Primary Election or General Election, the year of the election and Paid For By The Citizens Clean Elections Fund printed on the cover.

ü The document must be easily distinguishable from the publicity pamphlet produced by the Secretary of State.

§ Requires an affirmative vote of at least three-fourths of each house of the Legislature to be effective.

§ Contains an emergency clause.