08/14/2026
📋 Why are some school board elections cancelled?
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget is sharing information for families and voters who want to understand why some school district governing board races may be cancelled and what happens to those seats.
What makes a race eligible for cancellation:
Under Arizona law, a school governing board election may be cancelled when the number of qualified candidates who file, including eligible write-in candidates, is equal to or fewer than the number of positions to be filled. If no candidate files for a position, that position may also be declared vacant. A.R.S. § 15-424(E).
What the law says:
Arizona law (A.R.S. §§ 15-424 and 16-410) gives the Coconino County Board of Supervisors the authority to cancel an eligible school governing board election. An election may not be cancelled earlier than 105 days before the General Election.
Depending on the circumstances, the Board of Supervisors and the Superintendent of Schools may:
🔹 Cancel and appoint — When qualified candidates have filed and the number of candidates does not exceed the number of available seats, the election may be cancelled and the Superintendent of Schools may appoint a qualified candidate or candidates to the positions. Those appointed have the same powers and duties as if they had been elected.
🔹 Cancel and declare the position vacant — If no candidate filed for a position, the election may be cancelled and the position is deemed vacant. The Coconino County Superintendent of Schools then fills the vacancy through the appointment process provided under A.R.S. § 15-302.
How the process works in Coconino County:
For the 2026 election, the statutory candidate filing period began June 6. Because that date fell on a Saturday, the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Office began accepting nomination petitions on Monday, June 8. The filing period closed July 6.
Candidates and electors then had an opportunity to challenge candidate filings. For school governing board races that could be cancelled, eligible write-in candidates had until July 20 to file.
After candidate filings, qualifying write-ins, withdrawals, and applicable challenges were accounted for, the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Office identified races that qualify for cancellation and made a recommendation to the Coconino County Board of Supervisors.
The Board of Supervisors makes the decision whether to cancel an eligible election and make the appointments permitted by law. The Superintendent of Schools does not independently cancel a governing board election.
For information about Coconino County's 2026 School Governing Board Elections, visit the Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Governing Board Elections webpage at https://www.coconino.az.gov/3272/Governing-Board-Elections.
Coconino County School Superintendent and Education Service Agency elections team serves as the filing office for candidates, conducts governing board elections, as well as governing board recall elections.
