AZ HB2845

Requires the filing officer to randomly select 5% of all candidate petition signatures within 20 days of the filing deadline for verification by county recorders, ensuring every eligible signature has equal chance of selection.

Establishes a process for substituting blank signature lines with the next available eligible signature above or below the originally selected line to maintain the random sample size.

Directs the filing officer to transmit copies of petition sheets containing randomly selected signatures to the appropriate county recorders for verification by personal delivery, certified mail, email, or electronic transmission.

County recorders must determine within 15 days (excluding weekends and holidays) whether randomly sampled signatures are disqualified based on 10 criteria, including illegibility, invalid registration status, duplicate signatures, or disqualifying signer roles (justice of the peace or county recorder).

County recorders must certify results to the filing officer, identifying disqualified signatures by page and line number, reporting total signatures sampled and disqualified, returning facsimile sheets, and notifying the candidate committee of verification results.