Lawyers for Tucson are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to spurn a bid by Republican interests to kill the city’s unique system of electing council members. In new legal briefs, City Attorney Mike Rankin said there’s nothing inherently unconstitutional about having the six council members nominated by ward but then having a citywide general election. He said it ensures that each area of Tucson is represented and yet requires council members to pay attention to voters in the other five wards. “The city’s election system allows both ward and citywide electorates a voice, and also provides benefits to both,” he argued. In a ruling last year, the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the practice.
Rankin’s filing comes in response to a request by the Public Integrity Alliance, represented by Kory Langhofer, to persuade the nation’s high court to overturn the appellate ruling.
Langhofer said the system illegally disenfranchises residents of any five particular wards who have no voice on who advances from the other ward to a citywide general election.
Full Article: Tucson asks Supreme Court not to overturn its unique council-election system | Elections | tucson.com.