Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs sent a draft elections manual to Gov. Doug Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Tuesday for review. 

If approved, the manual will update election procedures for the entire state. Counties run elections in Arizona but refer to the manual for election procedure questions that are not specified in state law. 

Arizona is currently using a manual from 2014. Former Secretary of State Michele Reagan did not issue a new manual ahead of the 2016 election, and her 2018 effort was not approved by Ducey. 

After collecting public comments, Hobbs made several changes to her draft. 

One specified that voter rolls can be used for nonpartisan voter outreach in addition to political organizing. And the draft manual now says County Recorders have to coordinate with Sheriff’s Offices, “to the extent practicable,” to make sure eligible voters in pretrial detention or serving time for misdemeanors are able to cast a ballot.

Ducey and Brnovich have an end-of-year deadline to review and approve the draft. Once that happens, it has the force of law.