Four candidates have announced their intention to seek election to three open seats on the Tempe City Council. The primary is scheduled Tuesday, March 9; the general will be Tuesday, May 18.
Confirmed candidates are Robin Arredondo-Savage, Shana Ellis, Mark Ortiz and Onnie Shekerjian. Ellis is Tempe’s current vice mayor. Arredondo-Savage is a Tempe Union High School District board member. Ortiz is employed by locksmith and lawn-care companies. Shekerjian is a current councilmember.
The candidates were required to submit at least 789 but no more than 1,578 nomination-petition signatures from registered Tempe voters by the Dec. 9 deadline; petitions of the applicants were determined to contain the required number of signatures and be substantial in form with nomination requirements, according to Tempe City Clerk Jan Hort.
Beginning Jan. 7 and ending May 6, city channel Tempe 11 will broadcast “open mic” appearances by City Council candidates. Each candidates will have five minutes to speak prior to each scheduled City Council meeting.
Those taped remarks are played back on the channel, which is viewable in Tempe on Cox Cable Channel 11, or online at www.tempe.gov/tempe11 .
From Feb. 16 through March 5, early voting in person will be available at the Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road, and the ASU Safety Escort Office, 330 E. University Drive, Tempe. The voting locations are open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Registered voters may request early ballots in order to vote by mail. Voters also can place themselves on a permanent early-voting list by contacting the Maricopa County Elections Department.
For more information, or to register to vote, visit the Tempe City Clerk’s Web page at www.tempe.gov/clerk and click on the “Election Information” link.
Other voter information is available by calling the Maricopa County Elections Department at 602-506-1511.
Voter registration for the primary ends Feb. 8.
