Overview

The Secretary of State has a defined role in Arizona’s elections as the state’s chief election officer. The Secretary of State, elected to a four-year term, is responsible for setting many of the procedures for vote counting and election certification across the state through regular updates to the Elections Procedures Manual. The Secretary of State develops training requirements for election officials, conducts the statewide canvass, and certifies election results. The Secretary of State also certifies election margins in the case of a recount and has oversight responsibility in the case of most recounts.

Election-Related Duties

The key duties of the Secretary of State are:

  1. Serving as the state’s chief election official and heading the State Department of Elections. A.R.S. § 16-142(A).
  2. Drafting the Elections Procedures Manual [1] every odd-numbered year preceding the general election and submitting to the Governor and Attorney General for approval no later than October 1. A.R.S. § 16-452(B).
  3. Developing a “Signature Verification Guide,” for County Recorders to utilize when reviewing mail ballot affidavits. *2023 EPM* at 84.
  4. Drafting the content (heading, official title, descriptive title, and “yes/no” analysis) of statewide initiatives and ballot measures. 2023 EPM at 154, 155.
  5. Providing election officer education, training, and certification programs to all election officers and clerks of the Boards of Supervisors and County Recorders (unless elected), and issuing certificates to those who successfully complete the programs before January 1 of each general election year. A.R.S. § 16-407; 2023 EPM at 130, 135.
  6. Appointing a three-person committee of qualified individuals to investigate and test electronic voting systems, procedures, and security used in elections, and receiving the committee's recommendations and standards for adoption and implementation. A.R.S. § 16-442.
  7. Conducting logic and accuracy testing on voting equipment used in any election and recount that includes a federal, statewide, or legislative office. A.R.S. §§ 16-552(A), 449, 664; 2023 EPM at 91.
  8. Certifying that voting equipment meets the mandatory requirements of the testing standards. 2023 EPM at 100.
  9. Receiving certified election results from County Boards of Supervisors. A.R.S. § 16-645(B); 2023 EPM at 248.
  10. Receiving results of hand count audits from participating counties and publishing them online. A.R.S. § 16-602(I); 2023 EPM at 242.
  11. Conducting the canvass [2] of any election of federal, statewide, or legislative office, state appellate court judges, or statewide ballot measures. A.R.S. §§ 16-642(2), 648; A.R.S. Const. Art. V, § 10; 2023 EPM at 252.
  12. Issuing signed and sealed certificates of election to those who have received the most votes after the completion of canvass of legislative, statewide, and federal races. A.R.S. § 16-650; 2023 EPM at 257.
  13. Certifying to the Superior Court that a recount is required when the vote margin is 0.5% or less. A.R.S. §§ 16-661, 662.
  14. Ordering and supervising the recount of ballots in the event of a court-ordered recount. A.R.S. § 16-664; 2023 EPM at 255.
  15. Delivering certificates of election to winners of statewide, congressional, and legislative district offices determined by a court-ordered recount. A.R.S. § 16-665(B)(2).