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Election Day: Will Guadalupe Mayor be unseated?

Posted at 6:34 AM, Mar 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-08 16:42:43-05

Polling places in parts of the Valley opened early Tuesday morning.

In Tempe, voters will cast their ballots for mayor and three open city council seats. Proposition 485 is also on the ballot, a proposal lowering campaign contributions a candidate can receive.

In Guadalupe, there's a controversial vote to oust the town's current mayor, Rebecca Jimenez. The mayor has refused to resign despite calls for her to step-down after she was accused of food stamp fraud.

The state said Jimenez was receiving food stamps she wasn't eligible for. The city's vice mayor demanded Jimenez step-down after the allegations. She ended up pleading to a misdemeanor in 2015.

Related: Jimenez to Vice Mayor: "You're a damn liar!"

After she refused to step down, a petition was started to get enough signatures to force a re-call election. The recall election is March 8th.

In a tearful plea at a recent Guadalupe council meeting, Jimenez thanked town residents and said she hopes to continue to serve as their mayor.

Upcoming elections in Arizona:

On May 17, a special election will take place for voters to decide on Prop 123 and Prop 124.

Arizona will hold its Presidential Preference Election on March 22. View election details here.