Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-AZ) celebrated a major win today when the House unanimously approved his election bill, House Bill 2022.
The legislation focuses on making sure military members stationed overseas can vote while also adding more oversight to polling places.
"Today the House unanimously passed my bill protecting Arizona military voters serving overseas," Rep. Kolodin announced on X, thanking colleagues for their bipartisan support.
What does this bill actually do?
First, it permanently changes when Arizona holds primary elections. Instead of August, primaries will now happen on the second-to-last Tuesday in July. This might seem like a small change, but it's actually crucial for service members deployed abroad.
The earlier date gives military voters enough time to receive their ballots, fill them out, and mail them back before the general election.
When Congress recently changed federal voting rules, Arizona's senior August primary didn't leave enough time for this process. The state used the July date in 2024 as a temporary fix, and it worked well. Now, Kolodin plans to make it permanent.
"This bill exists for one reason: to make sure Arizona voters, especially our men and women serving overseas in uniform, are not disenfranchised," Kolodin explained.
Additional Priorities
The bill also addresses election security by requiring counties to allow political party observers at all voting locations.
According to Kolodin, this prevents situations where election officials are "left alone with a poll book, ballot printer, and ballot box." Both Democrats and Republicans can now send representatives to watch the voting process at all locations.
Additionally, the legislation updates deadlines for voters to correct signature problems on their ballots and protects paperwork listing the previous August primary date.
The bill now advances to the State Senate. If passed, these changes go into effect for the 2026 elections.
