By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services/Arizona Capitol Times
Tucson’s unique ward and voting system is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled this morning.
In an often strongly worded opinion, the majority of the three-judge panel said the system of partisan nomination by wards but electing at large unconstitutionally denies residents equal rights. And the losers in that system, according to the court, are Republicans.
Today’s ruling does not necessarily doom the ward system or even partisan elections. But it likely means that if the city wants to keep both, it would have to conduct the general election on a ward-by-ward basis.
Related: 9th Circuit Court rules for dark money group/Arizona Daily Star
