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San Tan Valley organizers submit more than required signatures; next step random sampling and possible election call
Summary
Organizers of a San Tan Valley incorporation petition filed 10,732 signature lines with Pinal County; after administrative checks and the required random signature sampling county staff reported a derived acceptance total above the 6,107 threshold needed to advance, and officials said they will present the documentation for the board to set a date to call an election.
Organizers seeking to incorporate San Tan Valley filed 10,732 petition signature lines with Pinal County; after administrative review the Elections Department reported 10,408 accepted petition signature lines and a required random sampling process that is part of the statutory validation process produced 391 accepted signatures from the sample group.
Recorder Dana Lewis told the board the county’s acceptance calculation yields 7,531 signatures that meet statutory thresholds — above the minimum 6,107 signatures required for the petition to proceed to the next step. Lewis said staff are preparing documentation and will present a date for the board to call the election; if the board calls the election the Elections Department will place incorporation for a vote on the ballot and the county would administer the election process.
Lewis walked the board through the verification steps used by the Elections Department: (1) an administrative review to ensure notaries and completed lines meet form requirements, (2) a county voter-registration verification of candidate lines, and (3) the statutorily required random sampling of signature lines. Lewis said 324 lines were rejected at the initial acceptance step, and 142 were rejected in the random sample; county staff apply a multiplier from the random sample to produce the final acceptance tally.
If the Board of Supervisors calls the election, Lewis said the likely next procedural step is a random signature verification sampling and then the board would “have the ability to call the election,” which would place the question on the ballot. Lewis said the county expects to present the documentation needed to set a date for the election once the verification and sampling steps are complete. She also summarized upcoming election dates and processes for related items: CD‑7 special election dates, deadlines for write‑in candidates, early voting start dates and the county canvas.
Several speakers at the board meeting — including long‑time San Tan Valley residents who had worked on prior incorporation efforts — told the board they supported placing the incorporation question on the ballot so residents can decide. Board members and staff noted the statutory steps that remain, including the random sampling verification, and emphasized the process is driven by state law and county procedures.
