Navajo Mountain polling location moved

FLAGSTAFF – In light of unforeseen circumstances, the Coconino County Elections Department announces the relocation of the Navajo Mountain polling location, Precinct 71, for the upcoming Presidential Preference Election scheduled for Tuesday, March 19th.

The new polling location will be the Navajo Mountain Alliance Community Church, conveniently situated on Navajo Route 16 south of Road 6414.

Please note that only registered Democratic or Republican voters are eligible to vote in this election. All polling places will be open from 6 am to 7 pm on election day. The Coconino County Elections Department reaffirms its commitment to facilitating a smooth and accessible voting process for all eligible voters.

To assist Coconino County voters in locating their designated polling places, they are urged to visit www.coconino.az.gov/elections.

For all other election inquiries contact the Coconino County Election Department, at 928-678-7896.

Elections Department Prepares for Arizona Presidential Preference Election

FLAGSTAFF — Election officials are prepared for tomorrow’s Presidential Preference Election (PPE), with 29 polling places across Coconino County. In this year’s PPE, only registered Republicans and Democrats can participate.

While polling places are consolidated, voters can utilize any of the 12 vote centers throughout the County to cast their ballot on Election Day. Polling locations will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time. All voters in line at 7 p.m. will have the opportunity to vote. Voters can find their polling location and check voter registration online at My Arizona Vote.

With training completed, Coconino County is set to deploy nearly 300 bipartisan election board workers to provide assistance to voters on Election Day. These dedicated community members have undergone rigorous preparation to ensure a smooth and efficient voting process.

“While we expect a moderate turnout, we strongly encourage voters to make a plan for voting on election day,” said Elections Director Eslir Musta.

This call underscores the county’s commitment to facilitating secure, accessible, and inclusive elections. The public can expect to see the first batch of election results in Coconino County shortly after 8:00 PM on the county’s website coconino.az.gov/elections.

For more information, voters can also contact the Elections Department hotline at 928-679-7896.

Coconino County Opens New Elections Center in Flagstaff

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Elections Department (Elections) announced today the opening of the new Elections Center in Flagstaff. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Monday, January 22, 2024, and was attended by local dignitaries, including Arizona Secretary of State (SOS) Adrian Fontes.

The new Elections Center, spanning 9,000-square-feet, provides space for the entire Elections Department staff to work on-site, consolidating operations under one roof. The Center emphasizes County leadership’s commitment to integrity and transparency of election administration processes. Drawing on best practices and feedback from partners, like the AZ SOS and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Election Center incorporates accessibility, transparency, and security in the administration of elections in Coconino County. The facility is equipped with tools and resources to conduct candidate filing, ballot tabulation, and statutory hand audits accurately and precisely.

“Having separate rooms for ballot tabulation, as well as the hand-count audits, permits our staff to be more efficient in counting the votes by allowing these functions to be conducted simultaneously,” said Jeronimo Vasquez, Chair of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor for District 2. “Also, each room has windows for observers to see and document every step of the tabulation process.”

The new facility helps uphold the core values of democracy and empowers our community to make a meaningful impact through their vote.

The event also featured a screening of the documentary “No Time to Fail,” presented by The Carter Center.

“Transparent and credible elections are a cornerstone of the Carter Center’s work. The Center commends Coconino County election officials for ensuring that their new Elections Center will be a reliable source of information for voters and will help strengthen ties between election officials and the local community,” said David Carroll, director of the Carter Center’s Democracy Program.

Following the screening of the documentary, we had the privilege of welcoming Rob Rock, Rhode Island’s Deputy Secretary of State and one of the leaders featured in the movie, to engage in a Q&A session.

By collaborating with the Center and utilizing its guidance materials, Coconino County Elections empowers its full-time, temporary, and volunteer elections staff to deliver exceptional service that upholds the highest standards of excellence.

For more information about Coconino County Elections, including polling locations, candidate filings, financial disclosures, and other services, visit www.coconino.az.gov/Elections.

Write-In Candidate Filing Opens for Position of City of Page Justice of the Peace

FLAGSTAFF — The public is notified that with the passing of Justice of the Peace Candidate Donald G. Roberts and following Arizona Revised Statute 16-343(D), the Coconino County Elections Department is opening the write-in candidate filing period for the office of the Page Justice of the Peace.

To be considered an official write-in candidate, a person must file the required nomination papers with the Elections Department by November 3, at 5 p.m. and must meet all the applicable statutory requirements. For information about how to become a write-in candidate for this position, please contact the Coconino County Elections Department at 928-679-7896.

The names of the official write-in candidates will be posted on the Coconino County Elections Department webpages and at each polling location on Election Day. Voters casting a ballot for a write-in candidate must write the official write-in candidate name in the space provided for the race and put a mark on the oval next to the name.

Testing of Election Equipment in Coconino County on October 9

FLAGSTAFF — The public is invited to observe Logic and Accuracy Testing of the programs and equipment that will be used in the general election in Coconino County on November 8. The tests serve to confirm that all accessible voting equipment works properly and that each tabulator accurately tallies a predetermined, marked set of ballots.

The tests will be performed on October 9 beginning at 9 a.m. at 1186 W University Ave, Suite C in Flagstaff. There is limited space in the onsite viewing room; the public is asked to arrive by 8:45 a.m. The testing will be streamed live on the County webpage Live Feed beginning at 9 a.m.

As stated on the Arizona Secretary of State website, “Before each election, voting equipment is tested to ensure that it is operating correctly. This test is performed by the election officials conducting the election as well as by the Secretary of State’s Office.”

“The Logic and Accuracy Tests are the first step in a series of tests and audits conducted throughout the elections process to guarantee the accuracy and integrity of the election equipment in Coconino County,” said Eslir Musta, Coconino County Elections Director.

Questions may be directed to the Coconino County Elections office at 928-679-7896.

Unofficial primary election results

WILLIAMS – The unofficial 2018 primary and local election results are out and it looks like Williams will have Moore mayor.

In the Williams elections, incumbent Mayor John Moore received 361 votes with contender George Otero taking 198 and 12 write-in votes. The three incumbent councilmen took the majority of votes with 95 write-in votes. 72.15% of the voters voted for Proposition 415 allowing alternate expenditure limits.

Rob Krombeem received 854 votes for Justice of the Peace for Williams with Brian Flescher receiving 281 and 35 write-in votes. In the Constable race, Rick Remender received 554 votes to 510 votes for Jay Douglass with 28 write-in votes.

These election results are unofficial.

County Voters to consider ballot initiative on judicial merit selection Proposition No. 416

FLAGSTAFF – On Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2018, voters within Coconino County will consider a ballot proposition on the merit selection of judges and judicial retention.

Registered County voters will vote on the following issue:

• Shall Coconino County change from a partisan election of superior court judges to a merit selection and judicial retention election of superior court judges.

The County will prepare an informational pamphlet for the election. The pamphlet will be mailed to households of registered voters in the County. Arguments “For” and “Against” the ballot question are being requested by the County for inclusion in the informational pamphlet.

Anyone who would like to submit a “For” or “Against” statement regarding the election can mail or hand deliver their statement to Coconino County Elections, 110 E. Cherry Ave, Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001.

Arguments may be typed or printed and shall not exceed 300 words and must include the original signature of the submitting party. If the argument is sponsored by an organization, it must be signed by two of the organization’s executive officers. If the argument is submitted by a political committee, it must be signed by the committee’s Chairperson or Treasurer. The person(s) signing the argument must provide their mailing address and telephone number. The entity and author’s name will be printed in the informational pamphlet.

The cost to file an argument is $100 per argument filed on paper. If the argument is submitted electronically (on a CD or USB drive), the cost is $75 (to meet the requirement for an original signature, it must be accompanied by a paper copy).

Arguments must be received by 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, to the Coconino County Election Office at 110 E. Cherry Ave., Flagstaff, Ariz. 86001.

Candidates sought to run for school board

FLAGSTAFF – There are 11 Coconino County School Districts with governing board vacancies for the November 6 election.

Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Risha VanderWey encourages residents to get involved in local education by running as volunteer school board members to help shape policies impacting education.

Governing board seats are open in the following districts:

  • Flagstaff Unified School District (two seats);
  • Williams Unified School District (two seats);
  • Grand Canyon Unified School District (three seats);
  • Chevlon Butte Unified School District (four seats);
  • Fredonia-Moccasin Unified School District (five seats);
  • Page Unified School District (three seats);
  • Maine Consolidated Unified School District (four seats);
  • Tuba City Unified School District (two seats);
  • Coconino Community College District 5 (one seat);
  • Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry and Technology (CAVIAT) Fredonia, Grand Canyon, Williams, and Page; and
  • Northeast Arizona Technological Institute of Vocational Education (NATIVE) Tuba City.

To be eligible, candidates must be Arizona registered voters and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to the Nov. 6 election. Candidates or their spouses may not be an employee of the district.

Nomination packets can be found online at: http://coconino.az.gov/1939/2018-School-Board-Elections

Packets can only be turned in between July 9, 2018 through August 8, 2018.

For more information or to request a packet by mail, please call Elizabeth Sorg at 928-679-8070 or e-mail esorg@coconino.az.gov.

John Moore Mayor once more.

WILLIAMS — John Moore managed to squeeze out the 29 write-in votes with his 312 to win his re-election bid in the election yesterday.

The results for council members are:

  1. Frank McNelly 247
  2. Jim Wurgler 234
  3. Dawn Trapp 179
  4. George Otero 168
  5. Craig Fritsinger 165
  6. Jim Karlsberger 150

Statewide and District 1 election results will be evaluated later. These are unofficial results.

Primary results for Congressional District 1 still in question.

Arizona-electsCOCONINO/YAVAPAI – The race for the Republican nomination for Congressional District 1 is still in question. This is the only race which remains undecided in the primaries. The office of the Secretary of State reports that 2,508 ballots remain to be counted in the counties of Coconino and Yavapai.

The race between Andy Tobin and Gary Kiehne has narrowed four votes with only 366 separating the two candidates. The latest news is that the outstanding votes in Yavapai county have dropped to 619 yet to be counted down from 2,401 as of yesterday. Currently 815 votes separate the two candidates in Yavapai county so Tobin will take Yavapai event after all the remaining votes are counted.

In Coconino County 1,889 ballots remain to be counted. The spread between the two candidates in the county is 980 votes. Because the county recorder will not count ballots over the weekend, we will have to wait until Monday before we get the final results. These votes could change the course of the primary election for Congressional District 1. The name recognition that Tobin enjoys could give him the edge in the vote count, however.

It is apparent that the fat lady hasn’t sung in Congressional District 1.