Prescott City Council unanimously approves Aug. 5 primary canvas, discusses charter language on majority rule

Prescott City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 18 to approve the official canvas of the Aug. 5, 2025, primary election and spent much of the meeting debating how the city’s charter defines “majority” for primary winners.

The council’s vote to validate the canvass was 7-0. City officials and members of the public discussed an outside legal opinion on whether the city’s charter or state statute governs the calculation of “50% plus 1” and whether the charter’s language should be clarified by amendment.

City Clerk: “Approval of the official canvas of the City of Prescott primary election held on 08/05/2025,” the clerk read to open the single-item meeting, and noted that new state legislation requires the council to act within 20 days of the election. The clerk described the canvass as a “ministerial act” to validate the packet and invoice included in the agenda materials.

City Attorney Joe summarized an outside counsel opinion…