A panel of appellate court judges has ruled Tucson’s city election system unconstitutional.
The city of Tucson uses a ward-only system for its primary election but a citywide system for the general election, to choose its mayor and city council members. That prompted a suit by a group of Republicans.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel held the system violates the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, because the judges said it excludes some voters from the primary election based on the ward in which they live.
The Arizona Daily Star reported Tucson voters picked the hybrid election system in 1929 and it has survived a number of legal challenges. Voters have rejected attempts to change it, at least three times.
But, the court says the system violates the one man, one vote protection and is unconstitutional.