Sec. 6. General conduct and control of elections; sample ballots and instructions authorized.

The conducting and carrying on of all city elections shall be under the control of the mayor and council, and they shall, by ordinance, subject to the provisions of this Charter, provide for the holding of all municipal elections. Sample ballots and instructions to voters may be sent out to the registered electors entitled to a vote at any municipal election, but the sending out of said ballots and instructions shall not be necessary, and no notice of any such election, other than the publication of the ordinance calling and providing for the same, shall be necessary.

Sec. 7. Applicability of general laws; duties of mayor and council and clerk.

The provisions of the general laws of the State of Arizona, governing the elections of state and county officers, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, shall govern the said elections, in matters for which no provision is made in this Charter, or by ordinance, and the mayor and council and clerk, respectively, shall exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred or imposed by such laws on the board of supervisors and clerks of counties concerning elections.

   State Law References: Elections and electors generally, A.R.S. title 16.

Sec. 8. City to be divided into wards; redistricting.

The city shall be divided into six (6) wards, each ward containing, as nearly as possible, the same total population. Beginning with the year 2000, and quadrennially thereafter, and, in addition, during the second year following the year of any decennial United States census, the mayor and council may, if necessary to equalize the total population contained in the said wards, one with another, redistrict the said city as to the said wards, and said redistricting shall be done between the first day of October and the thirty-first day of December of said years.

(Ord. No. 8947, § 1, 9-2-97)

   Editors Note: Added as a result of a Charter Amendment Special Election held November 4, 1997. This amendment became effective on December 9, 1997.

Sec. 8.1. Redistricting advisory committee.

In any year in which redistricting of the city's wards is permitted under this Charter, or whenever redistricting is otherwise mandated by law, the mayor and council shall establish a Redistricting Advisory Committee, which shall make written recommendations regarding the redistricting of wards. The formation, term and activities of the Committee shall be regulated by ordinance.

No redistricting of the city's wards shall occur prior to the consideration by the mayor and council of the Redistricting Advisory Committee's written recommendations.

No redistricting plan shall be drawn for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring any political party or person, nor for the purpose of diluting the voting strength of any racial or ethnic minority group. To the extent reasonably practicable, wards shall be equal in population and shall be contiguous and compact.

(Ord. No. 8118, eff. 9-7-93)