For over 80 years, Tucson has used partisan city elections. In 2009 the Arizona legislature passed a law, telling all cities that they must use non-partisan elections. On April 6, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled unanimously that if charter cities wish to hold partisan elections, they may do that, notwithstanding any law that the legislature may have passed. Here is the 24-page opinion. The case is City of Tucson v State of Arizona, cv11-0150.

Tucson is the only city in Arizona with partisan city elections. Generally, Democrats do better than Republicans in city elections in Tucson.

The District of Columbia held its primary this year on April 3. It was a combined presidential primary, and a primary for all other partisan office. According to this story, only 15% of the registered voters cast a ballot. City councilmembers are already talking about moving it to June in future years. See this story.

On August 4, the Minnesota House amended SF 2296 to include a provision moving the primary from August to June. Because Minnesota law already says that independent presidential petitions are due on primary day, the bill would have the effect of moving the petition deadline from August to June.

However, on August 5, the Senate refused to agree to the House amendment. The vote in the House, inserting the amendment on the primary date change, was 66-65.

Petition deadlines for independent presidential candidates have been held unconstitutional, or enjoined, if they are as early as June, in these states: Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Nevada, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. This information has been sent to an election law analyst in the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.