Arizona: federal court refuses to grant stay of election
The Arizona Republic reports: A federal judge on Thursday refused to grant a temporary restraining order requested by a Mesa resident intent on stopping the city from preparing for a special election on a controversial retail development.
But the defeat in U.S. District Court was not as crushing as it seemed. Attorneys for the plaintiff, David Molina, will have at least three more weeks to resubmit a case for the restraining order and will request that a three-judge panel hear the matter. ...
Last week, Molina accused the city of violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 when it set a date for a special election on the Riverview project without first receiving clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Since Arizona is considered a "preclearance" state under federal law, city officials should have first submitted their intention to call a special election and update other information, such as new polling locations, before they set the date for a citywide vote, Molina argued. -- Judge denies order to stop Mesa vote