Tempe voter registration deadline is next Monday. Here's what to know
Tempe residents have less than a week to register if they want to vote in the city's upcoming election, in which three contested City Council seats and a new development blueprint for Tempe will be on the ballot.
The voter registration deadline is on Monday, Feb. 12. Residents can sign up or update their registration at ServiceArizona.com anytime before then to make sure they qualify to cast a ballot in the March 12 election. Voters who aren't sure if they're registered can also check their status on Maricopa County's website.
Early ballots will start being mailed out next Wednesday, Feb. 14, and voters will have until March 5 to mail their ballots back. If residents haven't dropped their vote in the mail by that cutoff date, they have to either put it in a drop box or cast it at an in-person voting site if they want their ballot counted. Those locations are available online.
The offices on this year's ticket include the mayor's seat and three City Council positions. Mayor Corey Woods is running unopposed, but the council race could be competitive.
Meet the candidates: Who's running for Tempe's City Council in 2024? Meet your candidates
Tempe is guaranteed to get at least one new official because Councilmember Joel Navarro has decided not to seek another council term after serving 16 years in the role. He announced in November that he would instead pursue a spot on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Navarro's position will be filled by one of the three newcomers who have entered the race: Nikki Amberg, David Lucier and Hugo Tapia. The latter two hope to shake up the current City Council by pushing back against its current strategy of using increased development as a means to combat high housing costs.
Whichever two newcomers do not secure the open position will be challenging incumbent Councilmembers Doreen Garlid and Randy Keating for their seats. Garlid is vying for her second four-year term on the council, while Keating is hoping to secure his third.
Tempe voters will have another big development-related decision to make this month: whether to approve General Plan 2050. It's a strategic blueprint that lays out what types of development can be built in different parts of Tempe. Cities need to update their general plans every decade, in accordance with state law.
More about the plan: Tempe approves new General Plan, residents remain divided on density changes
General Plan 2050 has generated controversy because it would open the door for taller, denser buildings to crop up in Tempe's more suburban southern half. Some say it's key to keeping housing costs affordable in a built-out city like Tempe, while others argue that it will upend the character of Tempe's lower-density southern neighborhoods.
Tempe residents who have more questions about their voter registration can call the Maricopa County Elections Department at 602-506-1511. Additional election-related information for voters is also available on Tempe's website.
Reporter Sam Kmack covers Tempe, Scottsdale and Chandler. Follow him on X @KmackSam or reach him at sam.kmack@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tempe voter registration deadline is less than a week away. Key facts
