Information for Candidates

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2026 City of Tempe Elections

City of Tempe residents who are interested in running for office in the upcoming City Council Candidate Election on March 10, 2026, can learn about the process on this page.

2025-26 Council Candidate Filing Deadlines (PDF)

Candidate Contribution Limits for the 2026 Election Cycle (PDF)

City Council Candidate Packets

Qualifying* Tempe residents who are interested in running for City Council can make appointments with the City Clerk’s Office to pick up a candidate packet for the March 10, 2026 election. A candidate Statement of Interest must be on file with the City Clerk’s Office, 31 E. Fifth Street, Tempe, Arizona, prior to circulating petitions. A Campaign Finance Candidate Committee Statement of Organization is recommended prior to beginning a campaign. To obtain a candidate packet, make an appointment with City Clerk staff by emailing clerk@tempe.gov or calling 480-350-8242.

*The qualifications for Councilmember are:

At least 18 years old at the time of filing nomination papers.
A qualified and registered voter of the City of Tempe at the time of filing nomination papers.
A resident of Tempe or an annexed area for at least two years immediately preceding the election.

Statement of Interest

State Statute (A.R.S. § 16-311) requires every candidate to submit a Statement of Interest form to declare their candidacy before collecting any petition signatures. Signatures collected prior to the filing of this form with the City Clerk’s office will be invalidated.

Filing a Statement of Interest indicates that a person is collecting petition signatures for a possible nomination. However, it is not a formal declaration of candidacy – filing a nomination paper is the formal declaration of candidacy. Filing a Statement of Interest also does not mean that a candidate will appear on the ballot for a particular election. To appear on the ballot, a candidate must submit valid nomination documents (including a nomination paper and sufficient petition signatures) by the applicable deadline and successfully defend against any nomination challenge filed in court.

The names of the individuals who have filed a Statement of Interest form and received a City Council Candidate packet are listed on the main Election page.

Online Nomination Petitions (E-Qual)

The City of Tempe is using the Arizona Secretary of State’s E-Qual online petition portal system to enable Council candidates to collect nomination petition signatures online. Visit https://apps.azsos.gov/equal to electronically sign a nomination petition or to learn more about E-Qual.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-317, a candidate may choose to collect up to 110% of the minimum number of required nomination petition signatures by use of the E-Qual system. For the March 10, 2026, Primary Election, 110% of the 954 minimum would be 1,049 signatures.

Candidate Certification Process

Tempe City Council Candidates who want their names to appear on the March 10, 2026, Primary Election ballot must file nomination papers and petitions containing the valid signatures of between 954 and 1,908 registered Tempe voters with the City Clerk between Monday, October 13, 2025, and Monday, November 10, 2025.

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-317, a candidate may choose to collect up to 110% of the minimum number of required nomination petition signatures by use of the Arizona Secretary of State’s E-Qual online petition portal system. For the March 10, 2026, Primary Election, 110% of the 954 minimum would be 1,049 signatures.

If the nomination petitions contain the required number of valid signatures and all candidate nomination requirements are met, the candidate's name is certified to the ballot by the City Clerk.

Campaign Sign Regulations

Candidate Committees: Campaign Finance

Contribution Limits/Disclosure Requirements

Candidate Contribution Limits for the 2026 Election Cycle (PDF)

The City of Tempe’s campaign contribution limits are detailed in the Tempe City Code, Chapter 13, Division 2. Information concerning the requirement for candidate committees to disclose contributions made by a lobbyist registered with the City of Tempe is detailed in the Tempe City Code, Section 13-117.

Candidates are advised to seek their own legal advice concerning limitations on and use of campaign contribution limits; the City Clerk’s Office cannot render legal, financial or other professional advice.

Signature Requirements for Council Candidate Nomination Petitions, Initiatives, Recalls, and Referendums

Determination of Winners

Determining Majority of Votes Cast

The majority calculation can be found in A.R.S. § 9-821.01 (D) and is as follows:

Calculate the total number of actual votes cast for all candidates for an office;

Divide the sum by the number of seats to be filled for the office; and

Divide the number by 2 and round to the highest whole number.

Here, the actual votes cast include the total number of votes on each ballot. If a city or town has seven candidates running for three open city council seats, the formula works as follows:

Step 1: Calculate the total number of actual votes cast for all candidates for an office

Candidate 1 (3,999)
Candidate 2 (7,683)
Candidate 3 (15,830)*
Candidate 4 (10,336)
Candidate 5 (13,377)*
Candidate 6 (7,501)
Candidate 7 (5,201)

Total of Actual Votes Cast: 63,927

Step 2: Divide the sum by the number of seats to be filled for the office

Divide 63,927 by the 3 council seats = 21,309

Step 3: Divide the number by 2 and round to the highest whole number

Divide 21,309 by 2 = 10,654.5, which is rounded up to 10,655. This total is the majority of votes cast that a candidate must receive to be declared elected.

Election Result:

Candidates 3 and 5 are thereby elected to two of the three city council seats because they received the majority of votes cast and the highest number of votes. Candidates 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 did not achieve a majority vote. There is one seat left open and Candidate 4 and Candidate 2 as the next highest vote cast will move to the May Runoff election. Candidates 1, 6, and 7 would not...

What if More Candidates Received a Majority of Votes Cast than Seats to be filled?
If more candidates receive a majority of votes cast than there are seats to be filled for the office, A.R.S. § 9-821.01 (E) requires those candidates who received the highest number of votes equal to the number of seats to be filled to be declared elected. Again, no runoff is necessary. For example, if four candidates had received a majority of votes cast but there are only three council seats, the statute requires the three candidates with the highest number of votes to be declared elected.

Information about the City Clerk's Office