PHOENIX — The Arizona House and Senate have passed bills that aim to speed up the ballot-counting process in Arizona.
Among the issues Senate Bill 1011 and House Bill 2703 would address include allowing voters who choose to drop off their mail-in ballots at an early voting location after 7 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day to tabulate those ballots on-site in Maricopa County.
Arizona Republican lawmakers spoke Thursday afternoon on the recently passed bill. Watch in the player below:
Senate President Warren Peterson says votes in Arizona's largest county would not take nearly as long to count and report.
"We should no longer have to wait weeks to determine winners and losers," Peterson said. "This bill will improve voter confidence and end the frustration."
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In Arizona's 14 other counties, voters who choose to drop off their mail-in ballot at a polling location after 7 p.m. the Friday before Election Day would be required to show ID so that county recorders can skip the time-consuming signature verification process and speed up results.
The bill also adds the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before Election Day as three more days of early voting. Those days were originally limited to emergency voting only.
It would also mandate that public schools be used as voting locations to expand opportunities and create more convenience for voters.
"SB 1011 / HB 2703 is common sense election legislation that will result in faster election results in Arizona," said Maricopa County District 4 Supervisor Debbie Lesko. "I know this legislation will help instill more confidence in our elections process."
The bill now heads to Governor Katie Hobbs desk.
