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Tempe Charter Amendment

The proposed Tempe Charter Amendment would introduce significant changes to how city elections are conducted, shifting from a traditional “pick one” system to Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for general and special elections.

Here are the key points for how this change would affect voters and candidates:

Changes for Voters

  • Ranked Preferences: In the general election, voters will no longer be limited to selecting just one candidate. Instead, they can rank at least five candidates in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
  • Maximizing Vote Power: The system is designed to “maximize the power” of a single vote. If a voter’s first choice is eliminated, their vote can automatically count toward their next-ranked active candidate.
  • Sincere Voting: Voters can vote for their preferred candidate without fear of the “spoiler effect,” allowing for more “honest and sincere voting” rather than strategic voting to avoid a candidate they dislike.
  • Primary Election Consistency: It is important to note that the primary election remains a “single expression of preference” for one candidate for Mayor and one for Council.
  • Increased Information: Voters will have access to more detailed data, including unofficial step-by-step results starting on election night and machine-readable ballot-level ranking data once counting is complete.

Changes for Candidates

  • Shift in Campaign Tone: The amendment aims to promote more civil and issue-oriented campaigns. Because candidates may need to be a voter’s second or third choice to win, there is a greater incentive to seek broad support rather than relying solely on a narrow base.
  • Encouraging New Candidates: The findings suggest RCV may encourage a wider range of candidates to run for office by providing a more inclusive path to representation.
  • Primary Advancement Rules: To advance to the general election, candidates must be among the top five for Mayor or the top 15 for City Council in the primary. If the number of qualified candidates is already below these thresholds, the primary may be dispensed with entirely.
  • New Winning Thresholds:
    • Mayor (Single-Winner): A candidate must ultimately receive a majority of legal votes through the elimination process to be declared the winner.
    • Council (Multi-Winner): Candidates must reach an “election threshold” determined by dividing the total valid votes by the number of seats plus one. Surplus votes from winning candidates are distributed to the next-ranked active candidates on those ballots.
  • Transparency Requirements: Candidates will face new disclosure requirements for the original and intermediary sources of major contributions, separate from existing campaign finance reporting.

Election Logistics

  • Primary Election Timing: Regular City elections are held on the second Tuesday in May of even-numbered years, with the primary occurring five weeks prior.
  • Primary as Final Election: The City Council may provide by ordinance that a candidate who receives a majority of all votes in the primary is declared elected immediately, meaning no further election is held for that seat.
  • Tie-Breaking: In the event of a tie during the RCV tabulation process, the candidate to be eliminated will be determined by lot.

Ammendment Details

If you would like to read the actual text of the Ammendment, click HERE.