By Matthew Holloway |

The Arizona House of Representatives approved bipartisan election integrity legislation on Monday intended to enhance voting oversight and protect the rights of military and overseas voters.

The measure, House Bill 2022, sponsored by State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-LD3), cleared the full House after receiving bipartisan support. The bill’s passage comes amid ongoing discussions nationwide about election security and voter access.

According to the AZ House GOP, the legislation aims to protect Arizona’s military voters by ensuring election procedures account for service members and other Arizonans living or serving outside the state. Specific provisions in the bill address the handling and timely delivery of ballots for individuals covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), a federal law that safeguards absentee voting rights for military and overseas voters.

Specifically, the bill moves the Arizona primary election date to the second-to-last Tuesday in July, to better align with the federal election timeline adopted by the U.S. Congress and prevent military UOCAVA ballots from going uncounted.

In a statement announcing the bill’s passage, Representative Kolodin said, “This bill exists for one reason: to make sure Arizona voters, especially our men and women serving overseas in uniform, are not disenfranchised because Congress changed the rules and failed to check the calendar. HB 2022 locks in the fix that worked in 2024. Military ballots went out on time, and our men and women serving in uniform were able to exercise their right to vote as citizens of the United States. There is no excuse to walk away from something we know works.”

HB 2022 also includes a series of measures intended to strengthen election oversight and transparency, including requirements for updated reporting and procedural reviews by election officials, according to the bill summary.

The following changes will also be made:

• Modifying the deadline for ballot curing in elections that include a federal office to five calendar days, from the previous five business days.
• Broadening the type of locations that may be observed or challenged by party representatives, including ballot replacement locations, voting centers, in-person early voting locations, and emergency voting locations.
• And allowing permitting nomination and local initiative petition forms circulated under the previous law to be considered valid for the July 2026 primary.

State Representative Kolodin chairs the House Ad Hoc Committee on Election Integrity and Florida-style Voting Systems with Co-Chair Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30). The panel was formed to study election procedures and propose electoral reforms. This committee has previously advanced legislation to improve voter identification requirements, tighten security around mail-in and absentee ballots, and restrict certain external influences on Arizona elections.

HB 2022 will now move to the Arizona Senate for further consideration.

Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.