Final Arizona Elections Manual Cuts Item That Settled Navajo Nation Lawsuit
Arizona now has a new Elections Procedures Manual, but it has a significant change from the draft version.
The manual has specific instructions for elections officials on how to do things before, during and after elections. It also has the force of law.
Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ office drafted it. This week it got the required approval from Arizona’s governor and attorney general.
In a change from the draft manual, the final version does not include a “curing” period for people who don’t sign their early ballots. That’s a period of a few days after the election when people can verify signatures that don’t match. If there’s no signature at all, however, you can’t cure after 7 p.m. on Election Day.
The curing period for early ballots without signatures was originally included to settle a discrimination lawsuit with the Navajo Nation. But Attorney General Mark Brnovich said Hobbs had no legal authority to allow that.
The Navajo Nation is threatening to sue.
Arizona has not had a new Elections Procedures Manual since 2014.
