2005 Arizona Revised Statutes - Revised Statutes §16-543  Application for ballot; United States service; emergency procedures

A. Any absent uniformed services voter or overseas voter as defined in the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act of 1986 (P.L. 99-410; 42 United States Code section 1973), as amended by the Ronald W. Reagan national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2005 (P.L. 108-375), may request an early ballot with a federal postcard application that contains both an early voter registration application and an early ballot application. The secretary of state shall provide for a centralized system for receiving federal postcard applications by way of the internet or fax and shall provide for transmitting appropriate ballot materials in response to fax, telephone and internet requests for federal postcard applications. On receipt of such application, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall determine whether or not the elector is registered. If the applicant is so registered, the recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall forward to the applicant an official early ballot. If the applicant is not registered, and the request is for a ballot for use in a county election but the federal postcard application is complete, the recorder shall forward an official early ballot to the applicant. If the applicant is not registered to vote and the federal postcard application is not used or complete, the recorder shall forward an affidavit of registration as provided in section 16-103 and shall forward at the same time to the unregistered applicant an official early ballot and affidavit.

B. The county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall transmit by fax or by other electronic format approved by the secretary of state early ballot request forms, unvoted ballots and ballot information to eligible absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters. The county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall provide for receipt of completed early ballot requests and voted early ballots by fax as prescribed by the secretary of state in the instructions and procedures manual issued pursuant to section 16-452.

C. The secretary of state shall provide in the procedures manual adopted pursuant to section 16-452 for emergency procedures regarding the early balloting process for persons who are subject to the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act of 1986 (P.L. 99-410; 42 United States Code section 1973), as amended by the Ronald W. Reagan national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2005 (P.L. 108-375). These emergency procedures may be implemented only on the occurrence of a national or local emergency that makes substantial compliance with the uniformed and overseas citizens absentee voting act impracticable, including occurrences of natural disasters or armed conflict or mobilization of the national guard or military reserve units of this state.