Governing Board Elections and Candidate Information

Information for individuals who wish to be candidates for a School District Governing Board.

CANDIDATE PETITIONS ARE DUE BY 5 PM ON JULY 6, 2026

 

School Governing Board Qualifications

Pursuant to ARS 15-421 (C), a person is eligible to run for a school governing board seat in Arizona when they meet the following qualifications:

  • The person is a registered voter of this state.
  • The person has been a resident of the school district for at least one year immediately preceding the day of election.
  • The person is not subject to registration as a sex offender in this state or in any other jurisdiction.

School governing board members cannot be an employee of the school district or be a spouse of a school district employee, including a person who directly provides certified or classified services to the school district as an employee of a third-party contractor.

Statement of Interest

According to ARS 16-311 (H), candidates must file a Statement of Interest Form with the Pima County School Superintendent's Office before collecting nomination petition signatures.

Submit your Statement of Interest to [email protected].

CLICK HERE to view statement of interest filings for the 2026 election

CLICK HERE for the 2026 Offices to be Elected

Statements of Organization (Campaign Finance)

• Must be filed ONLY when a candidate receives contributions OR makes expenditures – in any combination – of at least $1,500 for the 2026 General Election Cycle.
• Candidates who will NOT reach the $1,500 threshold are NOT required to file a Statement of Organization.
• If a candidate reaches the threshold, the Statement of Organization must be filed with the Pima County Elections Department located at 6550 S. Country Club Road.
• Candidates are no longer required to file this form before circulating petitions.

Filing Petition Signatures

The candidate filing period for the November 3, 2026 election begins Saturday, June 6, 2026 and closes Monday, July 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (Due to the first filing date occurring on a Saturday, our office will begin accepting nonpartisan nomination petitions on Monday, June 8, 2026). The filing location is the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office located at 200 North Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701. Candidates must file all required documents on time or their names WILL NOT appear on the ballot.

CLICK HERE to schedule your appointment

Candidates must file the following original documents with our office in order for their name to appear on the ballot:

The following sample petitions are meant for instruction only. Please note the difference between a 4-year term candidate and a 2-year term candidate.

CLICK HERE for the 2026 Nonpartisan Petition Signature Requirements

2026 Filed Candidate List (Available after 7/6/26)

2 Year Term Candidates

**Candidates for Two (2) Year Terms MUST designate the term expiration date following the name of the office on the petitions prior to gathering signatures, as well as on the nomination papers (ARS 16-314 (D)).**

Write-In Candidates

A write-in candidate must file the following original document with our office NO EARLIER THAN June 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. and No LATER THAN 5:00 p.m. on July 20, 2026 (ARS 16-312 and 16-410). However, because the first day of filing occurs on a Saturday, our office will actually begin accepting election documents on Monday, June 8, 2026.

Candidate Withdrawal

School Board candidates who decide to have their name removed from the ballot must submit a notarized Statement of Withdrawal to the Pima County School Superintendent's Office. Once a candidacy is withdrawn, if the candidate has registered a campaign committee, the committee is required to continue filing campaign finance reports until/unless the committee is terminated. Candidates who withdraw their name from the ballot cannot run as a write-in candidate for the same office. You ONLY need to file the below form if you have already filed your nomination paper and petition sheets. 

Candidate Withdrawal Form 2026

Candidate 10-Day Challenge Period

Immediately following the candidate filing period, candidate's filing for candidacy (qualifications, nomination papers, petitions, etc.) can be challenged with the Pima County Superior Court. The 10-day challenge period for the 2026 School Governing Board Elections is July 7, 2026 to July 20, 2026 at 5:00 pm.

Please Carefully Review ARS 16-351:
A. Any elector filing any court action challenging the nomination of a candidate as provided for in this chapter shall do so not later than 5:00 p.m. of the tenth day, excluding Saturday, Sunday and other legal holidays, after the last day for filing nomination papers and petitions.  The elector shall specify in the action the petition number, line number and basis for the challenge for each signature being challenged.  Failure to specify this information shall result in the dismissal of the court action. Within ten days after the filing of the action, the superior court shall hear and render a decision on the matter.  The decision is appealable only to the supreme court, and notice of appeal shall be filed within five days after the decision of the superior court in the action.  The supreme court shall hear and render a decision on the appeal promptly.
 

To request a candidate's filing paperwork please submit a public records request using the link below. Please note there may be costs involved to obtain these documents. 

CLICK HERE to submit a public records request

Cancellation of School Governing Board Election

If only one or no candidate files qualified nomination papers for a school district governing board member position by 5:00 PM on July 21, 2026, our office will recommend cancellation of the election to the Pima County Board of Supervisors (BOS).

Under these circumstances, the candidate who has filed in a timely and appropriate manner may be appointed as if elected by the BOS to fill the school district’s governing board position (ARS 15-424 (D)). If no candidate files and the BOS opts to cancel the election, the vacancy shall be filled through the appointment process conducted by the County School Superintendent (ARS 15-424 (D) and 15-302).

Recommended Cancellation Report (Available after 7/21/26)

Candidate Statements

Pursuant to ARS 15-421 (H), each candidate whose name has been certified to appear on the election ballot/write-in list may submit the following:

1.  A recent photograph.

2.  A typewritten or electronic statement, not to exceed 500 words.

3. A disclosure of any relationships by affinity, by consanguinity or by law to the third degree that exist between the candidate and any current governing board members or other candidates for election to the same governing board.

Certified Candidates may begin submitting the information described above NO EARLIER THAN Tuesday, July 20, 2026 and NO LATER THAN Thursday, September 16, 2026.

A signed hard copy of the candidate's statement can be delivered to our office or may be sent via email to [email protected] from the candidate's email address on file with the Pima County School Superintendent's Office.

2026 Candidate Statements

Links, Forms, and Resources

If you have questions, please contact Elections Director Matthew Stamp at 520-260-3305 or at [email protected].

NOTE:  Individuals interested in serving on the Pima Community College Board of Governors must file with the Pima County Elections Department.