Arizona House bill by Rep. Keshel mandates direct voter registration data transmission to county recorders

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Rachel Keshel seeks to streamline voter registration by mandating that the Arizona Department of Transportation transmit registration data directly to county recorders, aiming to align state procedures with federal law, according to the Arizona State House.

It passed both chambers as of May 6, clearing the House by a vote of 31-26 and the Senate by a vote of 17-11.

The bill, introduced as HB2767 on Feb. 6, during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature, was formally listed with the short title: ‘voter registrations; transportation department; recorders’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that the Arizona Department of Transportation (DOT) transmit voter registration information directly to both the secretary of state and the county recorder where the registrant resides, bypassing prior routing through the secretary of state, to comply with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The DOT must ensure that all collected voter registration information from driver license offices—including the registrant’s name, address, date of birth, and digitized signature—is sent to the appropriate county recorder within five business days of receiving a completed application. While the DOT can provide registration information to the secretary of state for other purposes, the bill maintains that this process does not alter the responsibilities of the secretary of state under state and federal law. The effective date for this bill is from and after Dec. 31, 2025.

In the House, 31 Republicans voted in favor while 26 Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Republicans voted in favor while 11 Democrats voted against it.

Keshel introduced the bill in the Arizona House on Feb. 6 during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature.

Jones graduated from Metropolitan State the University of Denver in 2002 with a BA.

Rachel Jones is currently serving in the Arizona State House, representing the state’s 17th House District. She replaced previous state representative Jennifer Pawlik in 2023.

The bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs on May 13.

In Arizona, the legislative process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is then assigned to one or more committees for discussion and possible amendment. If approved by committee, the bill proceeds to floor debate and voting in both chambers. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Arizona Legislature convenes annually in regular session starting the second Monday in January. Lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each session, though only a portion make it into law. You can learn more about the legislative process on the Arizona State Legislature website.