A 3-vote difference sends Phoenix justice of the peace race to an automatic recount
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Three votes separate two justice of the peace candidates, which falls into automatic recount territory.
Democrats Teresa Lopez and state Rep. Robert Meza are vying for the West McDowell Justice Court post in Phoenix.
Lopez, the current JP seeking a second term, trailed Meza during most of the vote count but pulled ahead when the county released the final tally on Wednesday. The count shows Lopez with 2,236 votes and Meza with 2,233 votes.
Lopez could not immediately be reached for comment.
Meza was taking a wait-and-see approach on Wednesday evening. "If I win, I win. If I don't, life goes on," he said.
State law outlines when an automatic recount is triggered. In this case, it had to fall within a five-vote margin, according to Megan Gilbertson, a county spokesperson.
"It will take a couple of weeks to complete the recount," she said.
Meza said the wait doesn't bother him and his attorney would keep track of the recount process. "It's just another steppingstone and we have to do whatever the next step is ... to move forward with this," he said.
Justices of the peace preside over limited-jurisdiction justice courts and hear cases such as small claims, evictions, orders of protection, misdemeanor crimes and some traffic infractions.
Candidates do not need to be attorneys or have any specific education. Once elected to a four-year term, JPs receive annual salaries of about $100,000.
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What happens in a recount?
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is set to canvass the election results on Aug. 15, after which the County Attorney's Office will "promptly" file a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court to request a recount, Gilbertson said.
The county's Elections Department will need to reprogram the ballot reading equipment to only count the JP race. All 866,924 ballots will be reprocessed in the recount.
A logic and accuracy test will take place before the counting process begins.
Candidates are not allowed in the tabulation area, but can watch the process in the lobby of the ballot tabulation center.
While the recount is in progress, the county cannot release vote totals from the recount. A judge then reviews the results of the recount and declares a winner during a court hearing.
Republic reporter Maritza Dominguez, who covers the southwest Valley, can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on Twitter @maritzacdom.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Automatic recount triggered in Phoenix justice of the peace race
