SB 1499 Summary

• Amends Arizona voting machine and electronic voting system specifications to require implementation of ranked choice voting when ranking for contests is possible.

• Establishes ranked choice voting procedures for single-seat and multi-seat elections, with threshold calculated by dividing total votes cast by (1 + number of seats to fill) plus one.

• Implements vote redistribution process through surplus transfers from elected candidates and elimination rounds, with detailed formulas for calculating transfer values.

• Permits Arizona cities, towns, and counties to use ranked choice voting in elections with three or more voting options per office or issue group.

• Requires ballot format to be simple and easy to use, includes specific voter instructions, and mandates secretary of state voter education campaigns and sample ballots before implementation.