HB2322

THE CONTEXT: In July 2020, the Arizona Secretary of State's Office released a Signature Verification Guide to be used as a reference in combination with the County Recorder's specific procedures for early ballot processing. The guide establishes a two-step process for signature verification in which specified characteristics of a signature are evaluated ( Signature Verification Guide ).

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would establish the Secretary of State's July 2020 Signature Verification Guide as the minimum requirements for the comparison of signatures, specifies signatures that cannot be verified must be rejected, except in specified circumstances, and make technical and conforming changes.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to create an operative state process for early ballots instead of leaving implementation undefined. It would establish the Secretary of State's July 2020 Signature Verification Guide as the minimum requirements for the comparison of signatures, and would also specifies signatures that cannot be verified must be rejected, except in specified circumstances, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.