write-in candidates; filings; ballots

New section 16-320 requires candidates to submit a signed notarized withdrawal statement to the filing officer when withdrawing candidacy.

New voter notification requirements mandate that counties mail election notices to active early voting list recipients at least 90 days before March or August elections, including information about ballot mailing dates and party designation options.

Section 16-602 significantly expands hand count procedures, requiring random selection of precincts for manual audits and establishing a vote count verification committee with expertise in statistics and mathematics.

Section 16-544 was completely rewritten to replace write-in candidate filing requirements with an active early voting list system, allowing voters to request early ballots by mail and receive automatic ballot delivery.

Section 16-550 establishes a signature cure period allowing voters to correct signature mismatches on mail ballots within 5 business days after elections, with extended hours for federal elections.

New requirements establish that early ballot tracking systems must be available on county websites and that manual audits of early ballots must be conducted within 24 hours after poll closing.

New definitions for 'election cycle' and 'designated margin' were added to standardize how hand count audits are conducted and evaluated.

New section 16-312 establishes comprehensive rules for write-in candidates, including specific filing deadlines (150 days before election for most races, 5 days for certain candidates, 6 days for cancellable elections), residency requirements (120 days for most offices), and financial disclosure obligations.

Write-in candidates must file nomination papers signed by the candidate with specific information including actual residence address, age, length of residence in state, and date of birth.

All provisions related to the active early voting list, including voter requests for early ballots, automatic ballot mailing, and voter removal procedures, have been completely removed from the statute.

Section 16-502 now includes specific instructions for write-in voting on ballots, with blank spaces provided for voters to write in candidate names not printed on the ballot.

New notification requirements mandate that the secretary of state, county school superintendents, and boards of supervisors notify appropriate election officials about write-in candidates filing with their offices.

Provisions requiring county recorders to send notices to voters on the active early voting list who failed to vote for two consecutive election cycles have been removed.

Filing officers cannot accept write-in nomination papers if the candidate has outstanding fines, penalties, late fees, or civil judgments of $1,000 or more from chapter 6 violations.

Added a new requirement for candidates to submit a signed, notarized withdrawal statement to the filing officer when withdrawing from a candidacy.

Expanded early voting list procedures to include automatic ballot mailing, address update mechanisms, and removal criteria based on voter non-participation over two election cycles.

Updated hand count procedures to clarify that write-in candidacies do not constitute contested races and modified the selection process for races to be hand counted.

Added provisions allowing 2026 justice precinct candidates to use various district designations from previous elections or court-ordered redistricting plans.

Adjusted ballot mailing timelines and early voting list maintenance requirements with specific deadlines for voter confirmation and removal.