Home>State Senate>Kavanagh School Board Bill Passes Ed Committee Unanimously

State Senator John Kavanagh speaking with attendees at the 2023 Legislative Forecast Luncheon hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry at Chase Field in Phoenix, January 6, 2023. (Photo: Gage Skidmore)

Kavanagh School Board Bill Passes Ed Committee Unanimously

SB1041 would allow candidates to collect signatures virtually

By Jenna Moore, January 27, 2025 3:37 pm

It’s one of the most annoying parts of American politics — for voter and candidate alike. The guy running for office who blocks the entry to Fry’s to ask if you’ll sign his petition to get on the ballot.

Signature gathering stands as the first step for political candidates to get their name on the ballot. To appear on the ballot for their election, they must gain a minimum number of signatures from their potential constituents.

Traditionally, signatures have been collected via door-knocking and at events or fundraisers. But in the modern era, many candidates have been able to add virtual signature collection to these gathering efforts. The E-qual online signature system allows candidates to gather pre-verified signatures from their prospective constituents. Allaying the Arizona heat, and the cost of efforts and volunteers, virtual signatures allow candidates to gather even more signatures than would have been initially possible. Not all races have been allowed to collect virtual signatures in this way – while the Arizona State House, State Senate, and congressional races have been allowed to do this, non-partisan races such as school board races, have been left out.

Senator John Kavanaugh’s bill addresses this problem – allowing school board candidates to E-qual for their own candidacies. This will allow school board candidates to join the ranks of other candidates who are modernizing, to add on to their physical signature gathering efforts additional support in online advertisements, easy recommendations from friends and family, and the opportunity to connect their accounts with other candidates running in the same district. Extra verification is provided by virtual signatures, as drivers licenses are required of constituents in order to sign.

Speakers on the bill in committee mentioned that if E-qual access will allow people to be more likely to become school board candidates, it is needed. Online signatures make candidacy more accessible, by allowing candidates to gain the minimum signatures without as many hours in the heat. Parties mentioned the difficulty of gathering signatures in rural school districts, where homes can be miles apart, and that online signatures will also reduce the cost barrier to entry, by lowering the need to hire door knockers or recruit volunteers. Some former school board candidates interviewed said that while the benefit of candidates going out and knocking doors themselves may make them value their position more, if benefits such as E-qual are available to some candidates, they should be available to all.

One party who spoke on the bill suggested: If E-qual will allow more people to get “involved, and be able to run for school board offices, that means it is going to allow voters to have better choices.” In addition to providing more options to voters, he mentioned it will also reduce the number of times when board seats will need to be filled outside of election. In an interview, DVUSD President, Paul Carver, agreed that a bill such as this might provide more schoolboard candidates.

Arizona Association of Counties – supported on behalf of the county school superintendents – said in committee that they have seen a difficulty with schoolboard candidates gathering enough signatures. Parties also mentioned that the Arizona School Boards Association is in full support.

Speaking on behalf of the Secretary of State’s office, George Diaz spoke of downstream consequences being minimal – $150,000 would be required for e-qual.

The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, by 7 ayes, 0 no’s, 0 not voting.

Jenna Moore
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