It’s already clear who will win in the city’s Primary Election next month. Every candidate is unopposed. But the election must go on — and it will cost taxpayers about $540,000. In the Aug. 25 election, members of each political party, and independent voters who opted to choose a party ballot, will select candidates for mayor and City Council member in Wards 1, 2 and 4. The winners advance to the Nov. 3 General Election.
The city moved to a vote-by-mail system in 2011 to save money and improve voter turnout. It was also facing an order from the U.S. Department of Justice to make polling places accessible to disabled people.
Before vote-by-mail elections, it was a common practice for the city to combine precincts in wards that had no contested positions and open a single polling place in each ward to save money.
Full Article: Tucson election with no races to cost $540k.