SB1471

THE CONTEXT: The county officer in charge of elections is required to conduct a hand count of a sample of ballots to test the accuracy of the vote tabulation equipment provided there is participation from the county political parties. In the 2022 general election, 12 of Arizona's 15 counties conducted a hand count audit, 8 of which found no discrepancies and 4 found discrepancies that were within the acceptable margin.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would instruct the officer in charge of elections in Maricopa County and provides the option to the officers in charge of elections in Pima and Pinal counties to randomly select 400 ballots from the ballot test decks used for logic and accuracy testing in the 2022 general election and recount all races, prescribe the method of recounting must include the use of duplication boards, adjudication boards and other functions generally required for ballot tabulation, and state hand count board must consist of volunteers who are members of the three largest political parties in the state and must include at least two different political party members on each team.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to turn the Legislature's standard for ballot tabulation into an enforceable rule. It would instruct the officer in charge of elections in Maricopa County and provides the option to the officers in charge of elections in Pima and Pinal counties to randomly select 400 ballots from the ballot test decks used for logic and accuracy testing in the 2022 general election and recount all races, and would also prescribe the method of recounting must include the use of duplication boards, adjudication boards and other functions generally required for ballot tabulation, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.