Elections

elections_grfx2024 Election Information

General Information

City elections include candidate elections and special purpose elections for issues such as recalls, referendums, initiatives, bonds, and general plan amendments. Candidate election dates are mandated by state law. Special purpose elections are held as necessary on certain dates of the year when not combined with a candidate election and these dates are also mandated by state law.

2024 Primary Election - Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline Monday, July 8, 2024

2024 General Election - Tuesday, November 5, 2024
General Election Voter Registration Deadline Monday, October 7, 2024

Council Positions to be Filled

The Mayor (2-year term) and three Councilmember seats (4-year term) are open for election in 2024. The current Mayor and Councilmember terms that expire in 2024 are: Mayor Chip Wilson and Councilmembers Tess Nesser, Bambi Johnson and Peter Heck. All successful candidates will take office at the first regular meeting in January 2025.

Candidate Packets & Filing Deadline

Candidate "packets" containing the forms and petitions that are required to run for Mayor or Councilmember are available online beginning November 1, 2023.

The forms contained in the packets are subject to change without notice, and prospective candidates are responsible for submitting the correct forms in order to run for a City office

Candidate Nomination forms must be filed with the City Clerk at 300 E. Superstition Blvd. Apache Junction, AZ 85119. No electronic submissions are allowed.  The earliest date prospective candidates may file their nomination forms is March 9, 2024, and the last day to file the forms is April 8, 2024, by 5:00 p.m.

WRITE-IN CANDIDATE FILING DEADLINE

(Write-In Nomination papers must be filed not less than 40 days before the election)

  •  Primary Election Write-in Candidate Filing Deadline – 5:00 p.m., June 27, 2024

  • General Election Write-in Candidate Filing Deadline - 5:00 p.m., September 26, 2024

  • A person cannot be a write-in candidate at the general election if the person:

    • Ran in the immediately preceding primary election for that office and failed to be nominated.

    • Filed a nomination petition without enough valid signatures to be placed on the ballot for that year’s primary election.

Statements of Interest
Before collecting any signatures, the Candidate Statement of Interest must be filed with the City Clerk's Office. This can be filed with the Clerk's Office by email at cityclerkdist@apachejunctionaz.gov  or delivered in person by appointment.

If you receive contributions or make expenditures, in any combination, more than $500.00 in connection with a campaign for public office, the law states that a political committee must be created to serve as your campaign committee.  In this case, a Candidate Committee Statement of Organization must be filed within ten days of receiving such contributions or making such expenditures.  If any information contained on the statement of organization changes, it must be amended within ten days of the change of information.

Statements of Interest have been submitted by potential candidates for the following offices:

Office of Mayor
Chip Wilson
Ari Kalan


Office of Councilmember
Peter Heck
Bambi Johnson
Tess Nesser



Important Dates

Below are important dates for candidates and voters.

2024 PRIMARY ELECTION
DATE
First Day Council Packets Available  November1, 2023
Candidate Filing Period March 9, 2024 - April 8, 2024 @ 5:00 P.M.
First Day to Post Political Signs May 27, 2024
Last Day Write-In Candidate Paperwork May be FiledJune 27, 2024
Last day to register to vote in Primary Election July 8, 2024
Early Voting Begins/Early Ballots Mailed July 10, 2024
Early voting period begins July 10, 2024 
Last day to request an early ballot July 26, 2024
Early Voting Ends August 2, 2024
ELECTION DAY August 6, 2024
Last day to remove political signs if not advancing to General Election   (Political Campaign Signs Policy) August 21, 2024


GENERAL ELECTION
DATE
Candidate filing period ( 03/09/24 - 09/26/24) Deadline September 26, 2024
Last day to register to vote October 7, 2024
Early voting period begins October 9, 2024
Last day to request an early ballot October 25, 2024
Last day to vote early in person November 1, 2024  
ELECTION DAY November 5, 2024
Last day to remove political signs   (Political Campaign Signs Policy November 20, 2024


For more information on getting an early ballot visit:
Pinal County Recorder
Maricopa County Recorder

Election Information

The following information is provided for general knowledge of the process.

  • City Council elections are held in the fall of even-numbered years 
  • The Primary Election is held in August; the General Election is held in November 
  • The Mayor and Councilmembers are elected at-large 
  • Apache Junction residents who live in Pinal County should visit pinalcountyaz.gov/Vote for more information. 
  • Apache Junction residents who live in Maricopa County can view their ballot status and other information by visiting BeBallotReady.vote
  • For your voter information, polling locations, status of your ballot, request a ballot by mail: click the Arizona Voter Information Portal

    Pinal County Recorders office: 520-866-7550 or 1-888-431-1311

Additional Election Information
Political Sign Information:
A.R.S. 16-1019  
A.R.S. 33-1261-Planned Communities
before placing campaign signs you must contact Blue-stake
Voting Precinct Map 

Voter Registration

The City of Apache Junction is primarily in Pinal County with a small portion in Maricopa County. The borderline is Meridian.  Anyone living west of Meridian is in Maricopa County, east of Meridian is in Pinal County. Links to the voter registration offices for both counties are provided below.

Pinal County voter registration
Maricopa County voter registration


Resources
Pinal County elections web page
Maricopa County elections web page
Arizona Secretary of State

Election Night Information 

Due to the large number of early ballots cast in most elections and the provisional ballots cast at the polls, final election results will not be available until several days after Election Day.  Election night results are not final.   After all the ballots are counted, results could be substantially different as to who is elected at the primary.

Statute prohibits the release of early voting results until all precincts have reported or one hour after the polls close, whichever occurs first.