Sec. of State Brewer Urges Superior Court to Order 2008 Leg. Lines

Legislative Lines Must be in Place in time to Allow Candidates to Qualify and Ballots to be Printed

PHOENIX -- Secretary of State Jan Brewer today directed her legal counsel to initiate proceedings to ensure the current federally approved legislative lines are used for the 2008 primary and general elections. The Secretary of State's request was based on the impending time constraints for candidates to collect petition signatures and for her office to certify candidates for qualification starting on May 5, 2008.

“Candidates are now actively obtaining their petition signatures and the official filing period will begin shortly…,” stated Secretary Brewer, “…In addition, candidates participating under the Citizens Clean Elections Act have been eligible to file their nomination papers and petitions with my office since January 1, 2008, and to date three candidates have filed this paperwork.”

Secretary Brewer has asked her counsel at the Attorney General's office to request that the court stay or put on hold its order until after the 2008 elections. The Secretary also noted that unlike previous election cycles, there is no current interim order of relief in place from the courts.

Added Secretary Brewer, “The time has come for this office to intervene in this matter as has been done on two prior occasions this decade (2002 and 2004) to provide the candidates certainty regarding the districts from which they seek election and gather nomination petition signatures.”

Further adding to the confusion is the fact that the district lines used during the 2006 election are currently not legally valid. Many candidates are gathering signatures in the “previously approved” 2002 legislative district lines – as pre-cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice and used in the 2004 and 2006 election – but those signatures may not be valid unless the most recent current ruling of the Maricopa County Superior Court is suspended.

“It is time that we put an end to this round of the redistricting fight and provide the candidates, voters and election administrators with the certainty they all need going into this year's election season,” commented Secretary Brewer.

-30-