Feb. 19—The catchphrase “vote early” takes on a new meaning this year, as a just-minted state law pushes election dates a week forward.

Candidates also are getting new advice: file early.

Legislation passed by the state House and Senate last week and signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs Feb. 9 moves the primary up one week, from Aug. 6 to July 30.

Capitol Media Services reported the measure was necessitated by “a 2022 change in state law sets up a situation where more races are going to be subject to a recount.”

Ben Lane, the Scottsdale city clerk, said city officials are “still analyzing the bill, but the impact to Scottsdale will be the same as the impact to other cities and towns having elections in August of this year.”

The early vote “has a domino effect on other dates related to the primary,” Lane said.

“For example, the deadline for candidates to file their nomination paperwork moves from Monday, April 8, to Monday, April 1.”

Similarly, the date for early ballots to be mailed and early voting to start moves from July 10 to July 3, Lane noted.

Jennifer Marson, executive director of the Arizona Association of Counties, put the whip to lawmakers last week, saying a delay in getting final primary results would have left insufficient time to send and receive the ballots from overseas voters, including Arizonans in the military.

Local races

The primary will narrow down what is looking to be a crowded field of candidates for the mayor’s office and three Scottsdale City Council seats.

Mayor David Ortega recently announced plans to run for reelection.

Linda Milhaven, a former three-term councilwoman, in January filed to run for mayor.

Lisa Borowsky, who lost to Ortega in 2020, has not filed with the city but has announced her candidacy for mayor.

At least one council seat will have a new representative.

Tammy Caputi, Betty Janik and Tom Durham all — like Ortega — began their four-year terms at the beginning of 2021.

While Caputi and Durham have launched reelection campaigns, Janik told the Progress she will not run again.

Caputi, Durham, Jan Dubauskas, Mason Gates, Adam Kwasman, Justin Laos, Robert Lettieri and Maryann McAllen have filed preliminary paperwork for City Council runs.

Dubauskas is an attorney who lost in her bid to represent District 3 in the State Senate last year.

Gates is a real estate broker who moved here from Kansas City.

Kwasman, an attorney, is a former state representative.

Laos identified himself as a software engineer.

Lettieri lost in a bid to become the state treasurer in 2022.

McAllen, who was a member of the Scottsdale Parks Department Commission, is a manager at Hospice of the Valley.

Requirements

City Council members must be residents of the city — employees of the city are disqualified.

The first step is to file a candidate statement of interest with the City Clerk.

After that, candidates looking to make the ballot must gather “at least 1,000 and not more than 13,903” signatures of Scottsdale registered voters. Signatures can be gathered using hard copy petitions or online using the E-Qual system.

Nomination petitions — including the signatures, a “declaration of qualification” and financial disclosure statement — must be filed between March 4 and April 1.

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, according to the city’s website.

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 $1,400 in connection with any election during a calendar year.

For more information, contact Ben Lane, Scottsdale’s city clerk, at 480-312-2412 or blane@scottsdaleaz.gov, or visit scottsdaleaz.gov/elections.