Legislation to permanently hold primary elections in July will face early debate

• Arizona counties want to permanently move the state’s primary date from the first week of August to the final week of July • Federal law shortens the time Arizona has to submit primary election results before the general election • Counties say the change likely has to be enacted during February

Just as in 2024, one of the first issues lawmakers must tackle in the upcoming legislative session will be the state’s primary election date.

Arizona did move its primary election date from the first week of August to the final week of July in 2024, but that was a temporary measure. Now, with another upcoming midterm election, lawmakers will attempt to move the state’s primary election date to July permanently.

The 2024 law resulted from the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which change