16-321

16-321. Signing and certification of nomination
petition

A. Each signer of a nomination petition shall sign only one petition for the same
office unless more than one candidate is to be elected to such office, and in that case
not more than the number of nomination petitions equal to the number of candidates to be
elected to the office. A signature shall not be counted on a nomination petition unless
the signature is on a sheet bearing the form prescribed by section 16-314.

B. For the purposes of petitions filed pursuant to sections 16-312, 16-313, 16-314
and 16-341, each signer of a nomination petition shall be a voter who at the time of
signing is a registered voter in the electoral district of the office the candidate is
seeking.

C. If an elector signs more nomination petitions than permitted by subsection A of
this section, the earlier signatures of the elector are deemed valid, as determined by
the date of the signature as shown on the petitions. If the signatures by the elector are
dated on the same day, all signatures by that elector on that day are deemed invalid.
Any signature by that elector on a nomination petition on or after the date of the last
otherwise valid signature is deemed invalid and shall not be counted.

D. Except as prescribed in section 16-341 for circulators of petitions for certain
candidates for the office of presidential elector, the person before whom the signatures
were written on the signature sheet shall be qualified to register to vote in this state
pursuant to section 16-101 and shall verify that each of the names on the petition was
signed in his presence on the date indicated, and that in his belief each signer was a
qualified elector who resides at the address given as the signer's residence on the date
indicated and, if for a partisan election, that each signer is a member of the party from
which the candidate is seeking nomination, or the signer is a member of a political party
that is not entitled to continued representation on the ballot pursuant to section 16-804
or the signer is registered as independent or no party preferred. The way the name
appears on the petition shall be the name used in determining the validity of the name
for any legal purpose pursuant to the election laws of this state. Signature and
handwriting comparisons may be made.

E. A person who signs a nominating petition must use that person's actual residence
address unless there is no actual residence address assigned by an official governmental
entity or the person's actual residence is protected pursuant to section 16-153. The
signature of a person who signs a nominating petition and who uses only a description of
the place of residence or an Arizona post office box address is valid if the person is
otherwise properly registered to vote, has not moved since registering to vote and is
eligible to sign the nominating petition.