Republicans in the state Legislature pre-filed an elections bill that aims to make Arizona’s election system more like Florida’s, but there’s no guarantee the measure will see Gov. Katie Hobbs’s signature.

Speeding up election night reporting is one of the top priorities for Republicans, many of whom have grown frustrated with how long the state has taken to count ballots. 

“Arizona is a laughingstock across the country for how long it’s taking our state to determine winners and losers in this election,” said Sen. J.D. Mesnard in a Nov. 8 news release days after the general election. 

Both Mesnard and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, have pre-filed bills intended to speed up election result reporting. 

Petersen’s bill will be the first bill heard in the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee, chaired by Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, according to a Dec. 12 post on X from Petersen. 

The Senate president’s measure, SB1011, would move the deadline to drop off an early ballot at a polling place to 7 p.m. the Friday before an Election Day instead of on Election Day. It would also expand early voting to include the Monday and weekend before an election, and repeal state law that instructs county supervisors to set up emergency voting centers, which requires voters to provide “unforeseen circumstances” that prevent them from voting at the polls. 

If the bill becomes law, anyone who drops off an early ballot in person after the new deadline could show identification and sign an affidavit, eliminating signature verification for their “late early” ballots, which election officials say is one of the leading causes of election reporting delays.

Many of the ideas in Petersen’s bill are also supported by Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Thomas Galvin. 

“By moving up the cutoff date for early ballot drop offs, using government buildings to host polling sites, and eliminate emergency voting for the Saturday and Monday prior to the election while allowing folks to vote in person, we can significantly speed up the process and have nearly 95% of ballots tabulated by election night,” Galvin said in a Nov. 18 news release. 

Doug Cole, a political consultant at HighGround Public Affairs Consultants, said Galvin’s support of speeding up election results is significant, particularly since Maricopa County contains nearly two-thirds of the number of people who vote in Arizona. 

“There’s more momentum right now than there has been in years past,” Cole said. “Maybe there’s a deal to be made. When you’re dealing with a divided government, it’s all about making a deal.” Cole said

Incoming House Speaker Steve Montenegro, R-Goodyear, said the House is planning on running a mirror bill to Petersen’s. It will likely have no trouble passing the GOP-controlled House or Senate, but Democrats have publicly opposed the measure. 

“Faster election results should not come at the expense of voters’ rights,” Hobbs’s spokesman Christian Slater said in a written statement. “Governor Hobbs is open to proposals to speed up the counting process, but any solution must protect Arizonans’ freedom to make their voices heard at the ballot box. She remains committed to a voting process that maintains accessibility and integrity for all Arizona voters and guarantees safe, secure and fair elections.”

The Arizona Association of Counties has not stated a position on Petersen’s bill yet. Association Executive Director Jen Marson told the Arizona Capitol Times on Dec. 18 in an email that prefiled bills have gone out to county officials for feedback, but many newly elected individuals have not had their county emails activated yet with a chance to weigh in on legislation. 

The association was against a similar proposal from Mesnard two years ago that allowed early ballots to be submitted at polling places if voters showed identification at the polls to eliminate signature verification.

That measure was vetoed by Hobbs in 2023. The governor wrote in her veto letter that she believed the bill failed to meaningfully address real challenges facing Arizona voters. Mesnard has reintroduced his bill as SB1001 in the upcoming legislative session. 

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has also supported speeding up election results. Richer outlined several proposals to do so after the 2022 election and he said the “cleanest” solution is to eliminate late early ballots like Petersen has proposed.

“Some will say this reduces accessibility. And it does. And there will be some pains during the first election cycle,” Richer wrote in a Dec. 13 thread on X. “But it still allows for 27 days of early voting, 24 of which allow for the drop off of early mail ballots at ANY location. It allows you to return your ballot through USPS. It allows 27 days of in-person early voting. It allows in-person voting on Election Day.”

Richer will not be returning to office. Cole said Richer’s successor, Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, a Freedom Caucus Republican, is likely to support Petersen’s proposal. 

Another prominent county recorder in the state has criticized the measure. Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly pointed out in a similar thread on X to Richer’s that Arizona’s 15 counties are much larger than Florida’s 67 counties. 

“The problem the bill sponsors want to solve: reducing the time it takes to obtain election results, was largely impacted by political parties who discouraged voters from returning ballots by mail in 2020. In 2024 the parties supported Early Voting and that number was reduced,” Cázares-Kelly wrote.

While Democrats largely oppose Petersen’s measure, they have shown support for the goal of faster results. 

A recent poll from Noble Predictive Insights that surveyed nearly 1,000 voters found 52% of respondents expressed frustration with how long it takes the state to finalize election results, despite an increased confidence in the election process. 

“Arizona’s elections are secure and trusted, but we can always improve,” Noble said. “Expediting the ballot counting process should be a top priority. Voters deserve accuracy, but they also deserve timeliness.”