What's Happening in Chandler, AZ…

Voters in Chandler have spoken and will keep their elections in August and November, rather than going to a March-May cycle.

Chandler has been holding elections in August and November since 2008, but not all cities were doing the same, and in 2012, the state legislature required that everyone switch to the August-November election system. Many communities were forced to change to the fall cycle when next they held a general election.

Then, in 2014, the Arizona Court of Appeals held that charter cities, of which there are 19 in Arizona, could decide when they wanted to hold their elections. Since that ruling went against the legislature's ruling, Chandler had to ask its citizens to determine which cycle they wanted. Residents once again voted to keep their elections in August and November.

Residents voted on the issue by mail, where the measure was identified as Proposition 484. An unofficial count tallied in late August showed 20,115 votes in favor of keeping the current autumn cycle, and only 1,859 against retaining the dates.

City officials might want to consider working with a flyer printing company to devise a mailer for Chandler's residents explaining the various legislative measures that necessitated a vote on when to hold elections. The officials could also reiterate that the city will remain on its current election cycle.