Hobbs signs election timeline bill moving up Arizona's primary date

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has signed a bill that would solve concerns about the 2024 elections process timeline.

The major concern that prompted a bill was that the recount process would have collided with when the state would have needed to have their presidential electors ready, NBC News reported.

There were also concerns about making sure that voters who are abroad, including military, wouldn't be able to get their ballots mailed back in time. Discussions between the counties, state leaders and other stakeholders had been going on behind the scenes for months.

House Bill 2785, sponsored by Republican Rep. Alexander Kolodin, will push the primary election for non-presidential primary races from Aug. 6 to July 30. The bill passed both chambers overwhelmingly, with Reps. Barbara and Jacqueline Parker voting against it in the House, and Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern voting no in the Senate – all of whom are Republicans.

"This legislation is a major win for Arizona voters and important in restoring voter confidence in election integrity," Senate Elections Committee Chair Wendy Rogers said in a statement. "After months of painstaking discussions among lawmakers, election experts, administrators, county officials, and the executive branch, I'm proud we were able to craft a commonsense solution that all 15 Arizona counties support. It will ensure our service members abroad will have their votes counted on election day, and moreover, it will enable us to accurately determine the winner sooner rather than later."

Legislative Democrats also praised the bill, which was ultimately considered a compromise.

"Our goal was a clean fix, and this bill comes very close. It's not perfect, but it is a true bipartisan compromise that will protect voters and help keep our elections free, fair, and secure," House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras said in a statement.

In addition to moving up the primary date, it changes the ballot curing from five business days to five calendar days through 2026. The bill also adds language regarding signature verification into state law.

The 2024 presidential preference primary is still March 19.