§ 16-956 — Voter education and enforcement duties

(Caution: 1998 Prop 105 applies)

A. The commission shall:

1. Develop a procedure for publishing a document or section of a document having a space of predefined size for a message chosen by each candidate. For the document that is delivered before the primary election, the document shall contain the names of every candidate for every statewide, legislative district and countywide office, including the board of supervisors, in that primary election without regard to whether the candidate is a participating candidate or a nonparticipating candidate. For the document that is delivered before the general election, the document shall contain the names of every candidate for every statewide, legislative district and countywide office, including the board of supervisors, in that general election without regard to whether the candidate is a participating candidate or a nonparticipating candidate. The commission shall deliver one copy of each document to every household that contains a registered voter. For the document that is delivered before the primary election, the delivery may be made over a period of days but shall be sent in time to be delivered to households before the earliest date for receipt by registered voters of any requested early ballots for the primary election. The commission may deliver the second document over a period of days but shall send the second document in order to be delivered to households before the earliest date for receipt by registered voters of any requested early ballots for the general election. The primary election and general election documents published by the commission shall comply with all of the following:

(a) For any candidate who does not submit a message pursuant to this paragraph, the document shall include with the candidate's listing the words "no statement submitted".

(b) The document shall have printed on its cover the words "citizens clean elections commission voter education guide" and the words "primary election" or "general election" and the applicable year. The document shall also contain at or near the bottom of the document cover in type that is no larger than one-half the size of the type used for "citizens clean elections commission voter education guide" the words "paid for by the citizens clean elections fund".

(c) In order to prevent voter confusion, the document shall be easily distinguishable from the publicity pamphlet that is required to be produced by the secretary of state pursuant to section 19-123.

2. Sponsor debates among candidates, in the manner determined by the commission. The commission shall require participating candidates to attend and participate in debates and may specify by rule penalties for nonparticipation. The commission shall invite and permit nonparticipating candidates to participate in debates.

3. Prescribe forms for reports, statements, notices and other documents required by this article. The commission shall not require a candidate to use a reporting system other than the reporting system jointly approved by the commission and the office of the secretary of state.

4. Prepare and publish instructions setting forth methods of bookkeeping and preservation of records to facilitate compliance with this article and explaining the duties of persons and committees under this article.

5. Produce a yearly report describing the commission's activities and any recommendations for changes of law, administration or funding amounts and accounting for monies in the fund.

6. Adopt rules to implement the reporting requirements of section 16-958, subsections D and E.

7. Enforce this article, ensure that money from the fund is placed in candidate campaign accounts or otherwise spent as specified in this article and not otherwise, monitor reports filed pursuant to this chapter and financial records of candidates as needed and ensure that money required by this article to be paid to the fund is deposited in the fund. The commission shall not take action on any external complaint that is filed more than ninety days after the postelection report is filed or ninety days after the completion of the canvass of the election to which the complaint relates, whichever is later.

B. The commission may subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and testimony, administer oaths and affirmations, take evidence and require by subpoena the production of any books, papers, records or other items material to the performance of the commission's duties or the exercise of its powers.

C. The commission may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this article and to govern procedures of the commission. The commission shall propose and adopt rules in public meetings, with at least sixty days allowed for interested parties to comment after the rules are proposed. The commission shall also file the proposed rule in the format prescribed in section 41-1022 with the secretary of state's office for publication in the Arizona administrative register. After consideration of the comments received in the sixty day comment period, the commission may adopt the rule in an open meeting. Any rules given final approval in an open meeting shall be filed in the format prescribed in section 41-1022 with the secretary of state's office for publication in the Arizona administrative register. Any rules adopted by the commission shall only be applied prospectively from the date the rule was adopted.

D. Rules adopted by the commission are not effective until January 1 in the year following the adoption of the rule, except that rules adopted by unanimous vote of the commission may be made immediately effective and enforceable.

E. If, in the view of the commission, the action of a particular candidate or committee requires immediate change to a commission rule, a unanimous vote of the commission is required. Any rule change made pursuant to this subsection that is enacted with less than a unanimous vote takes effect for the next election cycle.

F. Based on the results of the elections in any quadrennial election after 2002, and within six months after such election, the commission may adopt rules changing the number of qualifying contributions required for any office from those listed in section 16-950, subsection D by no more than twenty percent of the number applicable for the preceding election.