Tucson Wants Arizona Supreme Court To Throw Out 2018 Election Law
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Attorneys representing Tucson are asking the Arizona State Supreme Court to throw out a 2018 law that would force the city into even-year elections.
They are arguing that since they are a charter city, it has explicit rights over the state Legislature to set its own local election dates — and they are set for 2021.
Republicans have tried to force charter cities to follow the state’s schedule. In 2018 the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a law that would force a charter city to convert to even-year elections if it did not meet a standard of local voter turnout when compared to their residents’ turnout to statewide elections.
Tucson did not meet the standard, but ignored the law anyway.
This ruling will decide how much latitude Tucson and 18 other Arizona charter cities have in deciding how and when to choose their leaders without legislative intervention.
The justices will consider the issue in December.
