Tucson voters will have multiple issues on the ballot to decide in November.
No statewide races are up for a vote on Nov. 4, but the general election has four citywide races as well as issues at three area school districts on the ballot.
You must be registered by Monday, Oct. 6, to vote in the Nov. 4 election.
Go to www.recorder.pima.gov/Register. Voters can go to www.recorder.pima.gov/Voter_dashboard_login to check their registration.
Ballots will be mailed out beginning Oct. 8. Early voting begins that day as well, said Tucson City Clerk Suzanne Mesich.
You must be registered by Monday, Oct. 6 to vote in Pima County's Nov. 4 election. Ballots will be mailed out beginning Oct. 8.
Ward 3
Tucson City Councilman Kevin Dahl, a Democrat, will face Janet “JL” Wittenbraker for the Ward 3 seat, which encompasses midtown and the northwest boundaries of the city.
Dahl is seeking re-election for his second term to represent the midtown ward. He won the Aug. 5 primary election by just 19 votes. The race against Sadie Shaw was so close it triggered an automatic recount and an election challenge.
Wittenbraker, a Republican, failed in her run last year for a seat on the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
Ward 5
Ward 5, which spans most of Tucson’s south side, has essentially been decided already. Democrat Selina Barajas, who won the three-way primary election in August, is running unopposed for the seat. The ward is currently represented by Rocque Perez, who was appointed in May after longtime Councilman Richard Fimbres resigned in May.
Ward 6
The third-and-final council race is for Tucson’s Ward 6, which spans the area around the University of Arizona and downtown.
Democrat Miranda Schubert, who serves on the city’s Board of Adjustment and the Complete Streets Coordinating Council, handily won the three-candidate primary election in August. She faces Republican Jay Tolkoff, a former businessman and longtime Tucsonan.
Plan Tucson
The final citywide election is Proposition 417, in which Tucson voters are being asked to ratify Plan Tucson 2025, which would update the city’s general plan.
Tucson’s general plan was last approved in 2013. Plan Tucson 2025 includes 14 goals and 198 policies “that reflect feedback provided to City staff on the communities priorities,” the city says.
Go to www.plantucson.tucsonaz.gov to view a copy of the plan.
Approving Prop. 417 will not alter any tax rates, as having the city’s general plan — and updating it — is a state requirement. It is not tied to the city’s budget.
While the Aug. 5 primary elections were ward-only contests, all registered voters in Tucson will have the opportunity to vote on all three council races as well as Prop. 417.
Whoever wins the three seats will be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 1. They will serve through Dec. 1, 2029.
Three ballot initiatives will also be making their way to voters on Nov. 4, but only for those voters living in specific school districts.
TUSD budget override
Tucson Unified School District is asking voters to approve Proposition 414, a 15% budget override.
It’s the first override request in more than 25 years, TUSD says.
If voters pass it, Prop. 414 would allow TUSD to increase salaries for all classroom teachers, a $250 increase for “each step in the salary schedule for teachers,” and a 4% salary increase for all other TUSD employees.
It would also allow the district’s fine arts program to expand into 14 additional schools, fund one full-time social worker at each TUSD high school and employ 15 instructional specialists in career and technical education classrooms, such as automotive technology, construction and precision machining, among other funding areas.
TUSD says it will have to make “significant budget reductions across all programs” if district voters do not approve the budget override.
Flowing Wells bonds
The Flowing Wells Unified School District is asking its voters to approve Propositions 415, a $30 million bond plan.
If approved, Prop. 415 would allow Flowing Wells to fund a number of projects, including safety and security improvements at schools, replacing portable buildings used for classrooms, before- and after-school programs and staff work areas, as well as energy and water “efficiency upgrades” such as solar panels and restroom upgrades. It also would pay for the construction of a new early childhood center at Richardson Elementary and for new buses and vans for student transportation, the district says.
Sunnyside bonds
Sunnyside Unified School District is asking voters to approve Proposition 416, a $120 million bond plan. It would raise secondary property tax rates in the school district by $0.93 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
If approved, Prop. 416 would be used for construction and renovations at all 21 schools and their grounds, including replacing buildings at Sunnyside High School. It also covers safety and security improvements, upgrading athletic and fine arts facilities and replacing mechanical, plumbing, electrical and roofing systems. Technology, furniture and equipment for classrooms and student transportation vehicles also would be covered.
Go to www.schools.pima.gov/elections/bond-and-override-election-information to learn more about For more information about all three school propositions.
The last day to register to vote for the three school district elections is Monday, Oct. 6.
Early voting ballots will be ready for mailing on Wednesday, Oct. 8. In-person voting sites will open on Oct. 8 as well, according to the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office.
