Panel rejects bill allowing jurors to substitute temporary election work for jury service

A legislative committee on March 19 rejected Senate Bill 16-55, which would have let jurors summoned 90 to 120 days before a primary or regular election serve as temporary election workers instead of fulfilling jury duty. The motion to return the bill with a "do pass" recommendation failed on a 4–5 vote with one member absent.

Jen Morrison of the Arizona Association of Counties told the committee the proposal raised timing and operational problems for superior-court clerks, many of whom also serve as jury commissioners. "Because of the 120-day window before an election, you could be trying to call a juror in July... But then we have to see if they actually do serve as a poll worker," Morrison said, arguing the bill would shift a required public duty into a voluntary, paid role in a way that was hard for courts to track.

Members questioned whether serving as a poll worker would reliably excuse juror obligations. One lawmaker pressed for clarity on pay and training; Morrison said poll workers are paid but that the bill, as written, would not solve the courts' planning problem and would require statutory changes to make poll-worker service an official excuse.

Supporters said the measure sought to expand the pool of poll workers amid wider staffing challenges. Opponents said existing policies already allow serving as a poll worker to excuse jury service in some circumstances and that the bill’s timing window could be exploited by people seeking to avoid jury duty.

The committee debate included concerns about administrative burden and the potential for late-stage opt-outs by jurors. With those operational concerns unresolved, the committee declined to advance SB 16-55.

What comes next: The bill failed to receive a committee recommendation and will not move forward from this committee unless reconsidered.