Observers serve as the eyes and ears of political parties, nonpartisan candidates, and political committees supporting or opposing ballot measures during elections. Observers appointed by political parties must be residents of and registered to vote in Arizona. 2023 EPM at 138. While some of the standard aspects pertaining to observers are described below, the “County Recorder or [Elections Director] may develop additional local procedures to allow political party observers the opportunity to effectively observe the election process,” so local variation is possible. 2023 EPM at 138. Additionally, observers are never allowed to touch or handle election materials. 2023 EPM at 140.
Arizona does not allow for third-party observers to be at polling locations. However, Arizona does allow the public to attend the testing of voting equipment and all proceedings at the counting center. A.R.S. §§ 16-449(A), 621(A). Furthermore, Arizona law mandates a publicly accessible live video feed of the ballots at the tabulation room in the counting center while ballots are being counted and moved. A.R.S. § 16-621(D).
Political party county chairpersons submit a list of names to the County Recorder or Elections Director prior to any observing activities. 2023 EPM at 138. If there is not a county political party official, the state chairperson of that political party may appoint observers for that county. 2023 EPM at 138.
Observers may be appointed to specific voting locations, to a central counting place, or to multiple locations, but appointments are not transferable to other individuals. 2023 EPM at 138. Unless political parties agree otherwise, each political party is limited to having one observer at each voting location. 2023 EPM at 138. If the political parties do agree on allowing more than one observer at each voting location, each political party is still limited to having only one observer within the “75‑foot limit.” [1] 2023 EPM at 138. Nonpartisan candidates and political committees set up to support or oppose ballot measures are entitled to have observers—up to a total of three additional people—at central counting places to observe election processes. 2023 EPM at 138.
Observers are entitled to monitor several activities at a polling place. Observers can monitor the opening of the polling place, voting at the polling place, [2] closing of the polling place, the transport of the ballots from the voting location to a receiving site, [3] and “[a]ny other significant voting or processing activities at the voting location provided that it does not interfere with or impede the election procedures or staff.” 2023 EPM at 139.
All observers are subject to removal by the County Recorder or Elections Director for failing to comply with a “request to cease an activity that interferes with the election process or violates tribal, state, or federal law.” 2023 EPM at 139 (parenthetical removed).
Observers may also orally challenge a voter’s eligibility. See Processing Challenged Voters for more information.
Observers may monitor activities at central counting places and “at each point where ballots are handled or transferred from one election official to another.” 2023 EPM at 139. These locations include areas where ballots are received at the County Recorder’s office or the central counting place, where ballots are inspected, where the Write‑In Tally Board reviews ballots, where the Ballot Duplication Board duplicates ballots, where the Electronic Vote Adjudication Board adjudicates ballots, where the Accuracy Certification Board receives electronic media or processes voting results, where the tabulation of ballots occurs, or “[a]ny other significant tabulation or processing activities at a central counting place provided that it does not interfere with or impede the election procedures or staff.” 2023 EPM at 139–40.
Observers must check in with the County Recorder or Elections Director before they can be admitted to a central counting place. 2023 EPM at 141.
Both the local and statewide canvasses take place in a public meeting, so there is no need to appoint specific individuals ahead of time to monitor these events. 2023 EPM at 247. **
Provisional ballots are initially processed by the County Recorder and then by a Provisional Ballot Board at the central counting place. 2023 EPM at 212. As noted above, observers are permitted to monitor these activities. See “Observers at Central Counting Places,” above; see also 2023 EPM at 139–40.