election duties; county recorders

SB 1686 clarifies that the county recorder is the "officer in charge of elections" for Arizona counties, directly affecting county election officials. It updates rules for establishing election precinct boundaries and designating polling places, requiring county recorders to set boundaries by October 1 before elections and follow specific guidelines for combining precincts or using voting centers. The bill also mandates that public schools must provide space for polling places unless principals deny requests with written reasons like lack of space or safety concerns. These changes aim to standardize election administration procedures for county recorders managing polling locations.