FINISH YOUR BALLOT FOR MARICOPA COUNTY
Thank you for becoming informed and participating in our democracy! Vote Local!
I. Dates for Maricopa County Elections 2018
Primary Election, August 28
Last date to register for primary July 30. Mail-in voting begins August 1.
General Election, November 6
Last date to register for general October 9. Mail-in and early voting begins Oct. 10. Mail in ballot by Oct. 31.
II. What County District Am I?
See information on the election districts you live in, the listings of elected officials and your sample ballot. See Maricopa Recorder and Maricopa Vote.
So Many Districts!!
In Maricopa County, we live in congressional, legislative, county supervisory, justice of the peace and constable districts as well as a voting precinct, K-12 school, possibly high school or unified school district, technical education, community college, special health care, and maybe even a fire district or other special taxing district. Maricopa County has over 90 special taxing districts. By state law all are required to produce budgets, annual reports, and hold board elections in addition to their governance responsibilities. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors facilitates these activities. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approves the budgets and tax levies. Or, with educational and health care districts, we vote on the board members who vote on the budgets.
III. What’s on My Ballot?
Go to the Arizona Clean Elections Commission to see your ballot and read about Arizona’s Voter Crisis. You can change a crisis into an opportunity! Finish every ballot, every election!!
Best Resource: Go to AZ Clean Elections and complete “Find Your Voting and Candidate Information” with your address. You will see a list of your ballot information and at the bottom, a list of Candidate Forums that will provide information on your local candidates. You may also wish to review How Government Works.
Maricopa County Recorder’s What’s on My Ballot?
IV. Maricopa County Midterm Elections 2018
Maricopa County, Arizona will hold general elections for:
Until more information is available, voters can see who is running for each office on Ballotpedia. Political party candidates for these offices will be elected in the primary election. The general election will determine the winning candidate. Remember, you can see your Constable and JP districts HERE.
Precinct committee persons for the registered political parties will be elected also. If there are fewer candidates than allowed for a precinct, the names will not appear on the ballot and the registered candidates are elected. If there are more candidates than allowed, the names will be listed and votes will be tallied. (It is also possible that the Legislative District Chair may appoint precinct committee persons, one time only.)
V. School & College Boards, Bonds & Overrides - November 6, 2018 Midterms
The national midterm election is important to other local elections too.
Elementary & High School Elections and Local Override or Bond Elections
Get information via the Maricopa County link to the Maricopa County Education Service Agency (MCESA).
Technical Education Boards: EVIT & West MEC
Maricopa County is divided into two technical education districts, The East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) and the Western Maricopa Education Center also known as West MEC. Both districts prepare high school and continuing education students to enter the workforce with multiple occupational career training programs.
EVIT is divided into 9 districts, and 5 of its board members will stand for election in 2018. See Governing Board. Seats up for election are those of current members Norman Colbert, Robert Covington, Erwin Heimbuck, James Candland, and Matthew Wright.
West MEC has 7 districts, and 4 board members will be up for election in 2018. Seats up for election are those of current members Charlie Ellis, James Kaltenbach, Jim Migliorino, and Frank Straka.
Community Colleges MCCCD - Maricopa Community College Board oversees 10 county colleges, approximately 200,000 students and has a budget of $1.2 billion for 2018 – 2109. There is no state funding for the campuses. Major sources of funding are tuition and local property taxes.
The Maricopa County Community College District’s Governing Board has seven seats: five elected positions from geographical districts within Maricopa County and two at-large positions representing the entire County. Board members serve staggered 4-year terms.
This year in addition to one at-large seat, the seats for Districts 3, 4 and 5 are up for election. A primary issue for candidates is that of funding for the colleges: should it be increased, given lack of state funding, or should expenses be reduced instead?
Find out your MCCCD district HERE. Find out more about the Board, HERE.
IV. Other Local Elections 2018 (Health, Water, Judges), Maricopa County
The Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS), governed by the County Special Health Care District (CSHCD) Board of Directors. They oversee a hospital, two behavioral health centers, an outpatient specialty center, and 12 family health centers. MIHS has a partnership with 770 physicians and advanced providers. The budget approved for 2018 – 2019 is almost $500 million. Each Board member represents one of 5 districts, and each serves a 4-year term. In 2018, seats in Districts 3 and 4 are up for election.
Board of Directors’ members and district maps. By law, MIHS cannot provide candidate information, but names of the candidates that will appear on the ballot for contested districts will be listed at the County Elections Department website once the filing deadline has passed: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/candcamp.aspx. That site will also allow you to access public records filed by each candidate’s campaign regarding the election, including the candidate’s statement of organization and all campaign finance filings made by a candidate’s campaign.
The Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWD), which manages the Central Arizona Project. The CAWD is a special-purpose taxing district covering Maricopa, Pima and Pinal Counties, and it is responsible for financing the CAP and delivery of its water. There are 15 Board members, serving 6-year, staggered terms. Five Board positions are up for election in 2018, all from Maricopa County -- so, only Maricopa County voters will vote on them. The seats are at-large: the top 5 vote-getters win the seats. Current CAWD Board information.
Once the filing deadline is reached, candidates for the CAWD will appear on the County website.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judges
In large counties, Superior Court, Appellate, and State Supreme Court judges stand for retention through Arizona’s acclaimed merit selection process. The public Commission on Trial Court Appointments selects and nominates applicants to the Governor. The Governor appoints Superior Court Judges in each county of over 250,000 and to the Court of Appeals and Arizona Supreme Court. Each judge stands for retention after 2 years and every 4-year term. The Commission, lawyers, litigants, jurors and staff evaluate the judge’s performance. This information is distributed to voters so they can decide whether or not the judge should be retained. A “no” vote means the judge loses the judgeship.
Finish your ballot and vote the judges using the list in your Secretary of State’s information pamphlet mailed to the home of each registered voter, and available online in September.
VII. More Information on Candidates
*Maricopa County Recorder. See additional candidate and campaign finance information. Candidates may file petitions until August 8, 2018. The website will be updated daily after petitions are filed. The County is not required by law to collect or present candidate information.
*Secretary of State
*AZ Clean Elections
*Ballotpedia
*AZ Central info on City Candidates
*AZCentral info on State Candidates
