BREAKING BRIEF: DOUGLAS AMA recall initiative signatures verified
Recall of historic groundwater protection effort may be headed to the ballot
According to Cochise County Recorder David Stevens, signatures turned into his office by the “Save Our Water” initiative have been verified, and barring any successful challenges, the question of whether to repeal the newly-enacted Douglas Groundwater Active Management Area will be on the ballot in November, 2023.
The Douglas AMA had been approved by the majority Douglas Groundwater Basin voters in November of 2022 through ballot Proposition 422— which marked the first time in Arizona history that local voters enacted a local groundwater active management area.
According to Stevens, his office performed verification of signatures submitted on a random sample of 106 signatures. His office found that, of that sample, 83 signatures were valid, and 23 were rejected. From this sampling Stevens extrapolated a 21-percent rejection rate, which, when applied to the 2,173 signatures submitted by the initiative, results in an expected 1,658 valid signatures. The initiative required 1,310 signatures to get the AMA recal question on the ballot.
Stevens said that any challenge to the validity of the “Save Our Water” initiative’s petition signatures would have to come within the next five days (beginning Friday, July 14).
This is a summary of breaking news. More in-depth reporting to follow.
Full disclosure: I volunteered my time to advocate for Prop. 422 in the run up to the 2022 election.