Campaign Information - 2020

Candidate Nomination Petitions - “Stay home, stay healthy, stay connected”

To comply with Governor Doug Ducey’s Executive Order 2020-18 to minimize COVID-19 transmission, Town Hall is closed until further notice. We are asking candidates to contact the Town Clerk’s Office to set an appointment to drop off their candidate nomination petition paperwork by emailing us at townclerk@sahuaritaaz.gov or calling 822-8804. All candidate nomination paperwork must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Monday, April 6.

Please contact us if you have questions at townclerk@sahuaritaaz.gov.

Filing Officer

The Sahuarita Town Clerk is the filing officer for all municipal elections, Please direct all questions related to candidate filing and submission of campaign finance reports to the Town Clerk’s Office at (520)822-8804.

Candidate Eligibility

Residents interested in running for Sahuarita Town Council Member must be at least 18 years of age; a qualified elector at the time of filing their nomination paper; and have resided in Sahuarita for one year.

Nomination Petitions

Candidate nomination petitions must contain a minimum of 163 to a maximum of 326 signatures of eligible Town of Sahuarita voters. Candidates must file their nomination petitions and other nomination forms with the Town Clerk’s office by 5:00 p.m., Monday, April 6, 2020 to have their name appear on the Primary Election ballot. Write-in candidates are not required to file nomination petitions, but must file all other nomination forms by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, June 25, 2020.

Terms

Five Council Member seats will be filled during the 2020 election cycle; four, 4-year terms and one, 2-year term. Candidates interested in running for the 2-year term must declare their candidacy for the 2-year term by circulating Two (2) Year Term for Town Council nomination petitions or a Two (2) Year Term Write-in Candidate form. Candidates may not run for both the 4-year and 2-year terms.

Candidate Filing Documents 

A candidate must file a Statement of Interest with the Town Clerk before obtaining the first petition signature on a nomination petition (A.R.S. § 16-311).

A candidate is required to register a committee if the candidate receives contributions or makes expenditures, in any combination, of at least $500 in connection with that candidacy.

An entity must register a political committee if it meets both of the following conditions: 1) the entity is organized for the primary purpose of influencing the result of an election; and 2) the entity knowingly receives contributions or makes expenditures, in any combination, of at least $1,200* in connection with any election during a calendar year. “Primary purpose” is defined in A.R.S. § 16-901(43).

The information contained on this webpage is intended to assist candidates in preparing their candidate papers. While we strive to provide the most current information, state statutes and election cases are subject to constant change and interpretation. Candidates are encouraged to review all election materials with an attorney to ensure compliance with current legal requirements. It is not appropriate for town staff to give legal advice to candidates for office. Please take time to thoroughly review all election materials and comply with all current statutes.

Full candidate information packets are available at the Town Clerk’s Office.

WRITE IN CANDIDATES

A write-in candidate is not required to file nomination petitions; however, a write-in candidate must file all other candidate election forms. To qualify as a write-in candidate, a Nomination Paper/Declaration of Qualification, and Financial Disclosure Statement must be filed with the Town Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m., June 25, 2020 (forty (40) days prior to the Primary Election). Any person seeking to run as a write-in candidate who does not file a timely nomination paper shall not be counted in the tally of ballots.

Write in Candidate FAQs