Sept. 2, 2009
City, State work together to solve costly election issues
By State Senator Jay Tibshraeny and Chandler City Council Member Rick Heumann
Many of the bills that were passed in the 2009 Legislative session may have received little attention because of the discussion regarding the budget. However, some very important measures were approved. Two in particular involve the election process and will have fairly significant impacts on Chandler residents and the citizens of Arizona in upcoming elections.
These came about as we worked together to identify solutions to some challenges that had come up due to past legislation that had inadvertently affected the election process. We both also feel these are of critical importance to the residents we serve.
A portion of House Bill 2048 involves the number of signatures required on nomination petitions for those seeking elected office to a City Council. With many cities moving to the fall election cycle, future candidates for municipal office would have had to collect thousands of additional signatures since the formula was based on the number of votes cast.
HB 2048 changed the formula to allow cities, by a vote of their Council, to limit signatures to 1,000 or 5 percent of the vote count in the last election – whichever is less. It also caps the number at 10 percent of the vote in that city. We have both run for local office and know the time commitment needed to gather signatures. It is a good process that allows candidates to get out and meet their fellow residents. While candidates should commit themselves to a diligent work effort to be considered on the ballot, HB 2048 takes an undue burden off of those residents who wish to run for office but who might not have the resources to collect so many signatures.
Senate Bill 1074 is somewhat of a catchall bill for election criteria and includes language that could save the state a significant amount of money in printing and postage. If you are registered on the state’s early voter list, you have been receiving two ballots – your early ballot followed by the sample ballot all voters receive. These two ballots are virtually identical. Given the strong response by early voters in Arizona, an amazing amount of sample ballots are needlessly printed and mailed to those people who have already voted.
That is a tremendous waste of paper, postage and resources for the Secretary of State’s office and taxpayers to endure. In fact, state officials estimate future costs savings of more than a half-million dollars during future general elections and significantly more in presidential election years.
These changes came about through the communication we have had with each other, as well as with the residents we represent. It is a good example of local communities and the state working hand-in-hand to meet the challenges of the day. On paper they are fairly simple changes to the state’s election laws, but they truly make a big difference to the way we do business in Arizona. Given our tenuous economic climate, that is more important than ever.
Senator Jay Tibshraeny (R-Chandler) represents District 21 in the Arizona State Senate. He served as Mayor of the City of Chandler from 1994 to 2002.
Councilmember Rick Heumann is in his first term on the Chandler City Council. |