SRP Elections to Fill 42 Seats on Boards, Councils
Precautions Being Implemented at Polling Sites to Reduce Health Risks
Salt River Project on Tuesday, April 7, will hold its 2020 elections to fill 22 seats on the board and council of the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, and 20 seats on the board and council of the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association. SRP is obligated to hold its elections on a prescribed date and time and will take precautions to limit exposure and health risks associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to qualified voters by providing a drive-through voting option and secure outdoor early ballot drop-off at the SRP Administration Building, located at 1500 N. Mill Ave., in Tempe.
Qualified voters may vote in person through Election Day, Tuesday, April 7, at the SRP Voting Center, located at the SRP Administration Building. The SRP Voting Center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until April 6, and from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7.
Early voting ballots must be received through the U.S. Postal Service or hand-delivered to the SRP Voting Center or one of the designated drop-off locations no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, April 7, to be counted. The two early ballot drop‐off-only locations, open only on Election Day, are located at the SRP West Valley Service Center, 221 N. 79th Ave., in Tolleson; and the SRP Southside Water Service Center, 3160 S. Alma School Road, in Mesa.
The newly elected officials will take office May 4 and 5 following the canvassing of election returns on Monday, April 13.
The terms of Board and Council seats are all four years. SRP board members establish policy, approve annual budgets and set prices and fees. SRP council members amend and enact bylaws, and make appointments to fill vacancies on the SRP boards and council seats.
District positions open for election in 2020 are one board seat in each of voting divisions 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9; two at-large board positions, 11 and 13; and three positions on the Council in each of voting divisions 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Association positions open for election in 2020 are one board seat in each of voting districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9; and three positions on the Council in each of voting districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9.
The two at-large District board positions (11 and 13) are elected on a one-landowner, one-vote basis. All other positions are elected on an acreage basis. For example, an owner of five acres of land has five votes; an owner of one-half acre has half a vote.
SRP is composed of two separate organizations: the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association, a private water corporation formed in 1903; and the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, an agricultural improvement district and a political subdivision of the State of Arizona formed in 1937 that oversees SRP’s electric operations.
To be eligible to vote, District and Association electors must be the owner of qualified land, or an individual who has been appointed by the trustee(s) to vote qualified land held in a qualifying trust. In addition, District electors must be a qualified, registered Arizona voter and reside within the state of Arizona. Association electors must also be at least 18 years of age.
More information regarding the 2020 elections is available at the SRP Elections website at www.srpnet.com/elections or by calling SRP’s Elections Information Line at (602) 236-3048, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving more than 1 million customers. SRP is also the metropolitan area’s largest supplier of water, delivering about 750,000 acre-feet annually to municipal, urban and agricultural water users.