SB 1168: ballots; categories; count - Arizona

Senate Engrossed Version (02/23/2026) → Chaptered Version · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift from election administration to dental business regulation. The original text regarding vote counting and hand audits was removed and replaced with new laws requiring dental businesses to register, maintain patient records, and comply with specific ownership restrictions. This change fundamentally alters the bill's purpose from ensuring election integrity to regulating the corporate structure and operations of dental practices.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from governing election procedures to regulating the registration, operation, and ownership of dental business entities.

SCOPE

All provisions regarding election vote counts, hand audits, and ballot verification committees were deleted.

The bill now explicitly exempts sole proprietorships, partnerships of licensed dentists, and certain federal/state-regulated facilities from the registration requirements.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements mandate that dental business entities register with the board, list authorized dentists, and establish protocols for storing and transferring patient records.

ENFORCEMENT

New enforcement mechanisms include the power to refuse registration, suspend or revoke registrations, impose civil penalties up to $2,000 per violation, and issue letters of concern.

ELIGIBILITY

New eligibility rules prohibit individuals with surrendered or revoked dental licenses from holding a majority ownership interest in a registered dental business entity.

DEFINITION

New statutory language defines the scope of business entities subject to regulation and clarifies exceptions for schools and government facilities.

House Engrossed Version (04/21/2026) → Senate Engrossed Version (02/23/2026) · 8 edits · Jun 1, 2026

MODERATE

This bill completely changed its subject matter from regulating dental business entity registration to establishing strict election audit procedures. The new version mandates hand counts of specific ballot types, creates a new Vote Count Verification Committee, and sets up a tiered process for manual audits if electronic results differ from physical counts by a certain margin.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted entirely from the Department of Health Services (dentistry) to the Department of Elections. It now applies to all primary, special, general, and presidential preference elections in Arizona.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions regarding the registration, renewal, and civil penalties for business entities offering dental services.

REQUIREMENT

Added mandatory hand counts for at least 2% of precincts in every county, selected randomly by political party chairpersons.

Added a new 'Vote Count Verification Committee' composed of experts in statistics and voting systems to establish designated margins for audit triggers.

Added a tiered escalation process where manual audits expand to include more precincts or all precincts if differences between electronic and physical counts exceed the designated margin.

DEFINITION

Added specific categories for ballot counting, including early, provisional, federal-only, duplicated, test, and replacement ballots.

TIMELINE

Changed the timeline for hand counts to begin within 24 hours after polls close and be completed before the official canvassing begins.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for the officer in charge of elections to remove persons disrupting hand counts and to prohibit recording if it interferes with the process.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed exemptions for dentists practicing in military, tribal, or educational settings, and restrictions on ownership by dentists with revoked licenses.

Introduced Version → House Engrossed Version (04/21/2026) · 5 edits · Jun 1, 2026

MODERATE

The bill text was completely replaced, shifting the subject matter from election tabulation procedures to the regulation of dental business entities. The new version establishes registration requirements, fee structures, and specific exemptions for dental practices, while removing all provisions regarding ballot counting and hand counts.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed entirely from election administration to dental practice regulation.

SCOPE

All provisions regarding election ballot counting, tabulation categories, and hand count procedures were removed.

The bill's subject matter was fundamentally altered from election law to dental law, including new sections on restricted permits for out-of-state dentists and rules for dental school employees.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added mandating that business entities offering dental services must register with the state board, file annual applications, and maintain specific records.

ENFORCEMENT

New enforcement mechanisms were added, including the board's authority to impose civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation and issue letters of concern.

ELIGIBILITY

New eligibility exemptions were created for sole proprietorships, certain insurance entities, and professional corporations owned exclusively by licensed dentists.

ballots; categories; count

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