CAREFREE – Sometimes there’s just no getting around state statute, even if it seems ridiculous, not to mention costly.
A.R.S. § 9-821 dictates how elections must be held for nonpartisan city and town elections.
It basically states any candidate receiving a majority of all votes cast during the primary election shall be declared elected to that office.
Any candidates receiving less than a majority of votes cast would need to proceed to a runoff election.
However, statute also provides for an exception for any town with a population of 5,000 or less, if it poses and passes a question to qualified electors “that at the primary election those candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the offices to be filled shall be declared elected to the office, and no further election shall be held if at least three-fifths of the seats are filled by persons receiving a majority of the votes cast …”
Carefree has never posed such a question to voters.
Despite there being only one candidate running for mayor and six candidates running for six council seats, if any do not receive a majority of the votes cast, the town will have to spring for what otherwise appears to be an unnecessary runoff election.
So, in an effort to get electors to cast their votes for all of the candidates running and avoid the expense of a runoff election, local realtor Preston Westmoreland is hosting a candidate forum where citizens can get to know all the candidates, which includes: Les Peterson for mayor plus council candidates John Crane, Mike Farrar, Michael Krahe, Cheryl Kroyer, Gene Orrico and Jim Van Allen.
The forum is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3 in the Cholla Room at the Carefree Resort and Conference Center, 37220 Mule Train Rd., Carefree.
