(The Center Square) – Bond and budget measures were on their way to being passed, according to early, unofficial results in Arizona’s most populous county.
Maricopa County, which is home to Phoenix, published results on its website after polls closed at 8 p.m. Mountain Standard Time Tuesday. The results were based on 570,352 ballots cast, which is 21.5% of eligible voters. That includes ballots received and cleared through signature verification as of mid-day Monday.
These are ballots that were sent via the mail, dropped in a ballot box or processed at the Ballot Replacement Center, the county said.
Early results show Dorean Taylor ahead of Julie Spilsbury in the only race with candidates in Maricopa County: a seat on the Mesa City Council. Taylor had 52.78% of the vote in early results; Spilsbury, 47.22%, according to the Maricopa County elections website.
According to early results, bond measures and budget increases or budget override continuations were on their way to passing in many fire/medical districts, high school districts, elementary school districts and cities. A “budget override continuation” is a way to generate more revenue.
The margin of approval for bond measures varied slightly over 50% in the Maricopa County Special Health Care District and West-MEC At-Large Proposition 403 to 78.26% for Superstition Fire and Medical District’s Proposition 494. (West-MEC trains students in career and technical education.)
Measures to increase budgets or for a budget override continuation also passed in many districts. Results varied from to 52.56% supporting a budget increase in Peoria Union School District to 75.27% favoring budget override continuation in Phoenix Elementary School District.
