Arizona House bill by Rep. Kolodin amends early voting ballot verification process

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Alexander Kolodin seeks to amend early voting ballot verification and cure procedures in Arizona, aiming to enhance signature comparison, voter notification, and ballot tracking requirements after passing both chambers, according to the Arizona State House.

It passed both chambers as of April 29, clearing the House by a vote of 36-23 and the Senate by a vote of 17-12.

The bill, introduced as HB2050 on Jan. 8, ahead of the official start of the 57th Legislature’s first regular session on Jan. 13, was formally listed with the short title: ‘provisional ballots; cure data’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the procedures for verifying and curing early voting ballots in Arizona. It requires the county recorder or election officer to compare the voter’s signature on the early ballot envelope with the signature on their registration record. If a mismatch or missing signature is identified, efforts must be made to contact the voter for correction by specific deadlines depending on the election type. The bill mandates daily updates of voters needing cures to qualified political parties during the early voting period and after elections. It prohibits the release of complete election results until all precincts have reported or one hour after polls close. Counties using early ballots must offer a tracking system for voters to check the status of their ballots. These amendments do not apply to certain special taxing districts.

In the House, three Democrats and 33 Republicans voted in favor while 23 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Republicans voted in favor while 12 Democrats voted against it.

Kolodin introduced the bill in the Arizona House on Jan. 8 ahead of the official start of the 57th Legislature’s first regular session on Jan. 13.

Kolodin graduated from Georgetown University with a BA and again from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School with a JD.

Kolodin, a Republican, was elected to the Arizona State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 3rd House District, replacing previous state representative Alma Hernandez.

The bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 6.

In Arizona, the legislative process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is then assigned to one or more committees for discussion and possible amendment. If approved by committee, the bill proceeds to floor debate and voting in both chambers. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Arizona Legislature convenes annually in regular session starting the second Monday in January. Lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each session, though only a portion make it into law. You can learn more about the legislative process on the Arizona State Legislature website.