Governing Board Elections & Candidate Info
Governing Board Elections
Candidate & Election Information
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:
Registered voter in the state of Arizona
Resident of the school district for at least one year immediately preceding the day of election
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 with the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent before collecting nomination petition signatures. Click HERE to download the Statement of Interest form.
View the current list of candidates who have filed Statements of Interest for 2024.
You may read the Maricopa County Election Department’s Statement of Interest FAQ here.
Statement of Organization (Campaign Finance)
A Political Committee Statement of Organization must be filed with either the Maricopa County Elections Department or the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent once a candidate’s committee has reached a combined total of $1,400 in contributions and expenses (ARS 16-905 and 16-931). This includes the use of the candidate’s own monies. Campaign Finance forms are available for download here. Candidates can gather petition signatures without filing a Statement of Organization.
Campaign finance trainings for non-partisan and school governing board candidates in collaboration with Maricopa County Elections Department will be offered throughout the campaign season. Dates and times can be found here.
Filing Petition Signatures
Candidates may file election documents at the Maricopa County School Superintendent's office. The candidate filing period for the November 5, 2024 election begins Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. and ends on Monday, July 8, 2024 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 11, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.) Petitions presented before or after the established filing period CANNOT be accepted (ARS 16-311 (B)).
Candidates must file the following original documents with our office in order for their name to appear on the ballot:
Please schedule and appointment to file your candidate paperwork by clicking the SignUp button below.
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)).**
Candidate Withdrawal
School Board candidates who decide to have their name removed from the ballot must submit a notarized Statement of Withdrawal to the Office of Maricopa County School Superintendent. 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.
Write-In Candidates
A write-in candidate must file the following original document with our office NO EARLIER THAN June 8, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. and No LATER THAN 5:00 p.m. on July 22, 2024 (ARS 16-312 and 16-410):
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 Maricopa County Superior Court. The 10-day challenge period for the 2024 School Governing Board Elections is July 12, 2024 to 5:00 p.m. on July 22, 2024.
To make a public records request of a candidate’s filing paperwork, click here.
2024 Candidate Challenge Procedures
2024 Candidate Challenge Flowchart
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 23, 2024, our office may recommend cancellation of the election to the Maricopa 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 Board of Supervisors to fill the school district’s governing board position (ARS 15-424 (E)). If no candidate files and the Board of Supervisors opts to cancel the election, the vacancy shall be filled through the appointment process conducted by the County School Superintendent (ARS 15-424 (E) and 15-302).
Candidate Statements
Pursuant to ARS 15-421 (F), 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 9, 2024 and NO LATER THAN 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, 2024.
A signed hard copy of the candidate's statement can be delivered to our office or may be sent via email SchoolElections@maricopa.gov from the candidate's email address on file with The Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent.
2024 Candidate Statements
Contact Election Services
schoolelections@maricopa.gov | (602) 506-3978