Bill > SB1536

This bill amends Arizona's municipal election laws to clarify and modify procedures for city and town elections, particularly focusing on primary elections and candidate selection. The bill maintains that city and town elections should be nonpartisan, meaning no ballot indicators can reveal a candidate's political party affiliation. For cities or towns with district-based council elections, only voters within a specific district can vote for candidates in that district. The bill introduces a significant change allowing candidates to potentially be elected directly in the primary election if they receive a majority of votes, which would eliminate the need for a subsequent general election. If multiple candidates receive a majority, they would be seated based on the number of votes received. The bill also establishes a specific mathematical formula for determining what constitutes a "majority" of votes, which involves calculating the total votes cast, dividing by the number of seats, and then dividing that number by two and rounding up. For towns with populations of 5,000 or fewer, there's additional flexibility in election procedures, potentially allowing candidates with the highest number of votes to be elected. These provisions aim to streamline municipal elections and provide clearer guidelines for candidate selection and voting processes.

Justice, Military Affairs and Security

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/82974