Title
Request to Utilize Arizona Secretary of State's Online Nomination Petition System
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to approve for the City Clerk Department to utilize the Arizona Secretary of State's online nomination petition system (E-QUAL) as an option for the Mayoral and City Council candidate nomination process for the upcoming November 2020 Election and prepare related City Code changes to be presented to the Council at a later date, if needed.
Report
Summary
On Nov. 3, 2020, the City of Phoenix will hold an election for Mayor and City Council Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7. To be certified to the ballot, mayoral candidates are required to obtain 1,500 signatures of registered Phoenix voters and council candidates must obtain 200 signatures of registered voters residing in that council district. After filing a Statement of Interest form with the City Clerk’s Office, candidates may begin gathering signatures on May 7, 2020 and must submit signatures to the City Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on July 6, 2020.
The current process for city candidates to obtain signatures is to circulate hard copy nomination petition forms and gather signatures from qualified voters in-person, either by visiting households of registered voters or obtaining signatures at community events, among other methods. If a candidate collects enough valid signatures and meets all other nomination-related requirements, the candidate is certified to the ballot.
Currently because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in anticipation of expected challenges with using the existing nomination petition process due to social distancing requirements, the City Clerk Department has the opportunity to work with the Secretary of State’s Office (SOS) to offer candidates the option to use the SOS online nomination petition system (E-QUAL) for the November 2020 election. The E-QUAL system is a robust secure internet portal system that is currently used by the SOS for Statewide and Legislative candidates. It allows authenticated voters to sign a candidate nomination petition from their home or anywhere internet access is available and prevents voters from signing more than one petition for the same office. It also allows candidates to monitor the number of signatures gathered and determine how many more signatures are needed to meet the needed threshold. Candidates can encourage voters to sign their online petition by reaching out by phone, mailers, website information, or social media, instead of requiring an in-person contact.
The use of a secure internet portal system provided by the Secretary of State’s Office for municipal use is currently authorized under state law under Arizona Revised Statutes § 16-317(A). If approved by the City Council, staff will work with the Secretary of State’s Office to implement the E-QUAL option for mayoral and council candidates for the November 2020 election and prepare related City Code changes to be presented for Council approval at a later date, if needed.
For candidates who do not wish to use the E-QUAL system, the existing hard copy nomination petition process would still be an alternative option for the November 2020 election.
Public Outreach
If approved by the City Council, staff will provide information to all candidates on how to use the E-QUAL system.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Toni Maccarone and the City Clerk Department.