Arizona primary elections moved to an earlier date

Arizona has addressed an impending election crisis by implementing changes that election officials believe will enable them to timely submit presidential results to Congress. Republicans view the solution as a boost to election integrity, while Democrats argue it safeguards voters' interests in the long term.

State legislators overwhelmingly voted in favor of a bill on Thursday aimed at resolving the issue by adjusting various deadlines in state law, such as moving the primary election up by a week to July 30. The decision followed months of tense negotiations and a final, intense week of closed-door discussions, with some negotiators becoming emotional upon realizing the bill's passage into law.

The legislation, known as HB2785, also incorporates several minor adjustments to expedite final results, including a contentious change that reduces the number of business days for voters to address signature discrepancies on their mail-in ballots.

Reaching an agreement was a significant accomplishment for the closely divided Legislature, where Republicans hold a one-seat majority in each chamber. Last year, lawmakers failed to advance any significant election bills that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs was willing to endorse.

Hobbs expressed confidence in the integrity of Arizona's elections, stating, "Arizonans can be assured that their voices will be heard and that our elections will be conducted without political interference."

Pressure mounted on lawmakers to act following recent alterations to both state and federal laws that created an unfeasible election timeline. State legislators tightened criteria for automatic recounts in 2022, ensuring that statewide recounts would become common, especially in Maricopa County. Concurrently, changes to federal law accelerated the deadline for finalizing states' presidential election results.

The resolution was reached just in time, as election directors noted that February 9 was the last feasible date to reschedule the primary election. Any delay beyond that would have rendered it impossible to adjust the subsequent deadlines governing election procedures.