Tuesday is the deadline to mail Tempe ballots. What to know about Tempe City Council election

Paulina Pineda, Arizona Republic
·3 min read
Tempe Municipal Building
Tempe Municipal Building

Undecided Tempe voters must choose who they want to represent them on the City Council by Tuesday if they plan to send their ballots through the mail.

Tuesday is the last recommended day to get ballots in the mail to arrive by Election Day on March 8. Postmarked ballots that arrive after March 8 won't be accepted.

Ballots in signed, sealed and completed envelopes can be dropped off at three locations now through Election Day:

  • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Tempe City Hall, 31 E. 5th St.

  • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day at Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave.

  • Any time until 7 p.m. Election Day at Maricopa County Elections Office, 510 S. 3rd Ave., Phoenix.

This year's race is a ballot-by-mail election and every registered voter in the city should've received a ballot in early February. Voters who need a replacement ballot or prefer to vote in-person can do so at the Tempe History Museum, 809 E. Southern Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 28 through March 7 and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day.

Who's running for Tempe City Council?

Seven candidates are vying for three Tempe City Council seats. They are:

  • Jennifer Adams, who is the only incumbent in the race, is a retired city employee first elected to the council in 2018.

  • Arlene Chin, who served on the council for just more than a year in 2019-2020 after she was appointed to fill a vacancy. She is the ASU Foundation's director of scholarship advancement.

  • Casey Clowes, who ran for council in 2020, is a Tempe native and attorney.

  • Berdetta Hodge has served on the Tempe Union High School District board since 2016.

  • Gina Kash is a former Republican Caucus staffer at the Arizona House of Representatives.

  • Harper Lines is a local musician and a member of the Tempe Arts and Culture Commission.

  • John Skelton is a former Arizona Cardinals quarterback who owns a health care business.

Tempe City Council candidates answered questions at a virtual forum hosted by The Arizona Republic and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 12, 2022.
Tempe City Council candidates answered questions at a virtual forum hosted by The Arizona Republic and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 12, 2022.

At least two new council members are guaranteed to win a seat as councilmembers Lauren Kuby and Robin Arredondo-Savage are not seeking reelection.

Key issues in Tempe

Affordable housing, development pressures and the Arizona Coyotes' proposed arena deal were among the topics that candidate addressed during a forum hosted by The Arizona Republic and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.

Residents at the forum also wanted to hear candidate's views on numerous other issues from transportation to climate change. Here's The Republic's overage of the forum or you can watch the full forum here.

Results and swearing in

Initial results are expected to be released at about 8 p.m. March 8, with daily updates through the remainder of the week as Maricopa County elections officials count ballots dropped off or cast on Election Day.

A runoff election is scheduled for May 17, if needed.

New council members will be sworn in July 1.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Deadlines, dates and candidates for Tempe City Council election