HB 2720, introduced by Rep. Shawnna Bolick, is said to be one of the most comprehensive approaches to addressing on-going and emerging election-integrity issues proposed this year.
Bolick, whose office received over 30,000 emails, letters, and calls from constituents complaining about Arizona’s current elections process, says she introduced the bill after speaking with experts such as election observers and poll watchers.
Currently, Arizona’s secretary of state is the only person who decides whether Arizona’s election results will be certified. Bolick’s bill would create a legislative check and balance over the exercise of this authority. Under Bolick’s proposal, the legislature, which already has the power to subpoena evidence and audit elections, would be able to countermand the secretary’s decision to certify an election but would not be able to pick its own winner. The legislature, which has seen itself rendered powerless to act in the face of major issues, such as the pandemic, when it is not in session, would be able to exercise this authority throughout the year.
Bolick’s proposal would require counties to keep track of how many ballots they print so that election observers could verify that the number of ballots cast does not exceed the number of ballots in circulation. It would also prevent courts from dismissing election challenges on technical grounds without first hearing evidence, a practice that has frustrated many voters and fed widespread public distrust with Arizona’s elections.
The legislation also addresses cybersecurity issues, putting in place a more robust chain of custody for ballots and electronic data and creating stiff penalties for county officials who fail to keep the cameras that allow voters to observe the processing of ballots up and running.
Chris Viskovic, a phoenix-based elections lawyer, said that he believes the authority to certify elections is too much power for any one person to hold, much less a partisan official like the secretary of state: “I would sleep better at night if I knew that one person wasn’t making that decision for all of Arizona.”
Members of the public wishing to speak on the bill may sign up at https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/75527?SessionId=123&fbclid=IwAR10FDqSfDjXiYByTwQqduFMmH4qwLyTdAwfrnUbcePhCJlE5J97GyFJ37U.