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)

Sec. 9. Mayor nominated and elected at large; councilmen nominated from wards, elected at large.

Beginning in the year 1930, and continuing thereafter, the mayor shall be nominated from and elected by the voters of the city at large, and the councilmen shall be nominated each from, and by the respective voters of, the ward in which he resides, and shall be elected by the voters of the city at large.

Sec. 10. Number of polling places; open hours.

There shall be at least one (1) polling place provided in each ward in the city for the casting of votes and such polling places shall be kept open on the day of election from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The mayor and council may increase the number of polling places from time to time as necessity may require.

(Ord. No. 2080, eff. 11-10-60)

Sec. 11. Qualifications for electors.

The qualifications of electors shall be as required by the constitution and laws of the state for city and county elections. They shall also be residents of the city at least ninety (90) days previous to any primary, special, or general election held therein, and shall have actually resided in the ward in which they claim to vote for thirty (30) days next preceding any such primary, special or general election.

   State Law References: Qualifications of electors generally, A.R.S. § 16-101.

Sec. 12. Ordinance to provide for absentee voting.

The mayor and council shall provide, by ordinance, prior to the primary election of 1930, for the voting at any primary, general or special election of electors absent, or to be absent, from the city on the day of any such election, and the sick and disabled who cannot attend the voting places in person at any such election.