A voting error could confuse voters in the Phoenix school board race

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A voting error could cause some confusion in a Phoenix school board race.

A federal judge has ruled that election officials may not declare winners in the race for two open seats on the campaign trail Phoenix Union High School District Governing Council.

Maricopa County election officials have confirmed that a voting error was made, with voters in the Phoenix Union precinct being told to choose no more than two candidates in the race when no more than one should have been said.

Aden Ramirez is one of four candidates running for the two open seats.

He said the error was noticed a few weeks ago, after early voting went out.

“We know it was accidental. It was not intentional at all,” Ramirez said. “But now it’s about how we can limit the damage that could potentially occur to the electorate and voters.”

Normally in most races, voters can vote for however many seats are open in an election.

But not in the Phoenix Union High School District, where a consent decree was issued in 1990 as part of a lawsuit to ensure minority candidates are not discriminated against.

The decree requires voters to select one candidate for two open seats.

Attorney Logan Eliawith the Rose Law Groupexplained that a federal judge was asked to intervene and address the voting error, but it’s not that simple.

The judge ruled that he will wait until all the ballots in this race are counted to decide whether to declare two winners or hold a special election in March.

“I think Judge (Murray) Snow is saying, let’s wait and see what the results of this election are and whether or not those results have any bearing on the concerns under the Consent Decree or the Voting Rights Act that are raised in the lawsuits are. said Elijah. “Because if they don’t, there might not be a need to have a special election.”

At least three of the four candidates have expressed concerns about a special election, saying turnout in next week’s presidential election will be starkly different than the number of voters who show up for a special election in the spring.

“We want to preserve the integrity of the November election,” Ramirez said. “We don’t want voters to feel like their votes won’t count in November. We want to make them count, and for me that means accepting November’s results.”

Incumbent board member Aaron Marquez, who is running for re-election, released this statement:

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