Arizona lawmakers who promised faster election results are keeping their promise and potentially ending the embarrassment Arizona has experienced on a national level for being unable to count votes in a timely manner.
Arizona’s 2024 general election saw more than 260,000 late-returned early ballots, causing long delays in processing and counting. HB2703 aligns Arizona with states like Florida, where similar measures have resulted in faster, more secure elections.
The Arizona House of Representatives passed HB2703 and the Senate passed SB1011 to send the key election integrity measure to Governor Katie Hobbs for her signature.
“Arizona voters are tired of waiting days—sometimes weeks—for election results,” said House Speaker Steve Montenegro. “That’s why House Republicans made fixing this problem a top priority. This bill cuts through the confusion and delays, making sure ballots are counted faster and with greater security. We’re delivering real election reforms that make sense, and I appreciate our Republican members—especially Representatives Kolodin and Hendrix—for leading the charge to get this done.”
“We’re bringing common sense back to the process,” said Representative Alex Kolodin, who was one of the leaders of the effort behind this reform. “Every election, we see massive delays because hundreds of thousands of ballots flood in at the last minute, overwhelming election officials and leaving voters in the dark for days. That’s unacceptable. This reform makes sure ballots are processed on time, votes are counted faster, and Arizonans get the election results they deserve—without unnecessary chaos. It also ensures that mail-in ballots go to the right place by requiring voters to confirm their address, preventing voters from receiving the wrong ballot and not receiving their own ballot in a timely fashion.”
“As promised, the first bill being sent to the Governor this year is an election integrity measure. Recent polling shows most Arizona voters want us to take action to speed up vote counting. We are providing our citizens exactly what they’ve asked for,” said Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen. “According to Maricopa County, if this legislation is signed into law, 95% of votes will be reported on election night. We should no longer have to wait weeks to determine winners and losers. The madness needs to stop. This bill will improve voter confidence and end the frustration. I’m hopeful the Governor will listen to Arizona voters and do the right thing.”
“Arizonans deserve an election system that is transparent, secure, and free of unnecessary delays,” said Representative Hendrix, a sponsor of the legislation. “HB2703 delivers exactly that—eliminating unnecessary delays and reinforcing the integrity of our elections.”
The legislation makes several key changes, including:
- Setting a firm deadline for early ballots returned at voting locations—7:00 PM on the Friday before Election Day—to ensure prompt processing and reduce late ballot backlogs.
- Allowing counties to provide on-site tabulation during early voting, including on the Saturday and Monday before Election Day.
- Ensuring chain-of-custody procedures for in-person early ballots match those used for Election Day ballots.
- Requiring early mail voters to confirm their address before receiving a ballot—every election cycle in larger counties and every four years in smaller counties—to ensure voter rolls remain accurate and ballots are sent to the correct addresses.
- Removing bureaucratic hurdles that prevent schools from serving as polling places.
“SB 1011/ HB 2703 is commonsense election legislation that will result in faster election results in Arizona,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko, District 4. “As a Maricopa County Supervisor, I know this legislation will help instill more confidence in our elections process. Governor Hobbs should sign this bill – it’s the right thing to do for the future of Arizona elections!”
“Arizonans and Americans deserve and expect timely, accurate election results. This carefully crafted, nonpartisan legislation is a commonsense solution that ensures election integrity while expanding access by adding two extra days to an already nearly month-long early voting period,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Mark Stewart, District 1. “The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors fully supports this measure, and we strongly urge Governor Hobbs to sign this widely supported legislation to uphold voter confidence and deliver the efficient, transparent elections. It’s just common sense.”
“Few people understand the critical need for speedier election results more than me,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee, District 3. “A prolonged wait for results is agony for both the voters and the candidates. This bill is crucial to expedite Arizona’s election results and improve voter confidence across the county and state. I’m grateful for President Petersen’s leadership in working with us to craft this legislation, and I urge Governor Hobbs to sign the bill!”
“Florida has become a model for fast, accurate elections. As a legislator, I supported or co-sponsored similar legislation, and SB1011/ HB 2703 is a strong step to ensure Arizonans will be able to have the same fast results and confidence in our elections that Florida has,” said Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap. “I applaud all those who voted for this critical bill and encourage Governor Hobbs to reconsider her stated opposition.”
We are getting to see why so many want to do anything to get elected. A lot of corrupting going on in government!
Still gonna allow machines to do the counting?
Dumbo fake Rs want this vetoed. It’s all AZ theater. They put in a part about verifying your address that will give the Governor cover to veto it
“Requiring early mail voters to confirm their address before receiving a ballot—every election cycle in larger counties”
Oh she is going to veto this for sure but hopefully the House is smart enough to remove that portion and resubmit. Not holding my breath though.
Me either. Arizona Rs are controlled by crooked or compromised fools happy to see conservatives lose in exchange for their own advancement.
This sounds like something Hobbs will veto to keep the cheating by Democrats going.
so does the early tabulation – allow for early reporting to the public of active votes counted? I like the early count, not so sure the early reporting the best idea
Not, not at all this is not allowed. Law requires no vote counts to be reported until an hour after polls close.