Sun City West elections committee reviews candidate forum, finalizes March 31 voting logistics

The Sun City West Governing Board Elections Committee on March 24 reviewed its recent candidate forums, approved February meeting minutes by consensus and finalized roles and procedures for in‑person voting on March 31.

Committee Chair Lehi Anne said the candidate forums drew strong online viewership despite modest in‑person attendance and praised the committee and vendors for running longer sessions so every candidate could speak. “When I checked last night on how many views on the open forum, there were 1,123,” Lehi Anne said, noting two‑minute candidate speeches would be posted online.

The committee also approved, by consensus, minutes from the Feb. 7 and Feb. 28 meetings. The approvals were announced after the chair read the meeting procedure statement, which said the committee conducts meetings under Arizona Planned Community Association open meeting laws and the Sun City West recreation center bylaws and standing rules.

Members spent most of the meeting on logistics for the March 31 in‑person voting day. The committee asked election workers and volunteers to arrive between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. for training and room layout. Roles planned for the day include two staff at initial check‑in to confirm membership and dues status on computers, two people controlling the number of people allowed into the voting room to preserve voter privacy, approximately three people assisting with ballot opening, and three additional staff from the vendor Torch to allow rotation and breaks.

To prevent crowding and protect voter privacy, the committee said it will limit how many people enter the room at once, use airport‑style barriers to manage traffic, and hand out chips to mark sign‑in during peak periods. Committee members will check membership status in the sign‑in system before voters proceed to cast ballots; volunteers will ask for a sign‑in chip when opening ballots as a double check.

The committee discussed campaigning rules and boundaries. Committee members said campaigning is not allowed at voting tables, inside pro shops, at dining tables on golf course properties, or in the voting line. The committee said it will mark off areas in parking lots, enforce a no‑campaigning rule within the line and abide by the 75‑foot rule where applicable. Chair Lehi Anne said candidates may display signs on their golf carts and that the committee will ask that campaign vehicles be parked to the side so parking is available for voters.

The committee agreed to pursue one additional low‑intensity outreach opportunity: a candidate booth area at the rec center’s “Munchy Monday” event, where candidates could speak in a designated corner without interrupting other activities. Lehi Anne said the committee would give candidates guidance about how to behave and where campaigning is permitted.

Committee members noted online voting already is open and that three homebound ballot requests have been accepted this year. Members also reviewed past turnout figures cited during the meeting: the chair reported roughly 34% turnout for a 2021 recall (about 8,500 of roughly 26,000 eligible voters), 17% for the 2022 regular election, a 36% figure mentioned for a 2023 recall, and 39% turnout in a 2024 RV parking referendum (about 9,700 of roughly 25,000 eligible voters). Committee members said recalls and referendums have driven higher participation.

Public commenters asked for clarification on where campaigning is allowed; the committee reiterated no campaigning inside voting areas, not at dining tables, and not in the voting line, and said it will pay particular attention to parking‑lot activity and vehicle signage on voting day.

The meeting adjourned at 9:28 a.m.; the committee’s next meeting was announced for April 4 at 9 a.m. in the lecture hall.