By Ben Giles | Arizona Capitol Times
Amid lingering frustrations over the 2018 election – with Republican accusations that a Democrat in charge of ballots in Arizona’s most populous county had mucked up the process– a flurry of election-related bills were introduced this year.
Not all passed through the legislative process, but there are plenty of changes to look out for in 2020 as Arizona plays host to a presidential primary election and anticipates high turnout as President Trump seeks re-election.
New primary date
Mark your calendars: One of the more consequential changes to Arizona’s election law moves the primary date for state and local elections from the last Tuesday in August to the first Tuesday in August.
The measure drew bipartisan support and was backed by county officials, who said they can use the extra weeks to prepare for the general election in November after hosting the primary.
As for candidates, they may benefit from more time on the campaign trail after securing their party’s nomination in August for whichever office they seek.
Others said that it’ll move up their efforts to start campaigning in the spring and summer in preparation for the primary, so expect mailers to arrive in mailboxes much sooner next year.
