CONTACT: Phillip Cantrell
Public Information Officer
Desk: (520) 229-4772
Cell: (520) 549-9953
pcantrell@orovalleyaz.gov
ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (Feb. 19, 2026) – A new state elections law, HB 2022, is accelerating key deadlines for the 2026 election cycle and moving up the calendar for voters and would-be candidates in Oro Valley.
HB 2022, signed Feb. 6 by Gov. Katie Hobbs, permanently shifts Arizona’s primary election from the first Tuesday in August to the second-to-last Tuesday in July, putting the 2026 Primary Election on July 21.
What changes for OV candidate filing
Because the primary is earlier, the candidate filing window is earlier.
Pima County Elections now lists the filing window for nonpartisan city/town candidate petitions as opening this Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, (Town offices are closed Sat./Sun.). The last day to file is Monday, March 23, 2026, at 5 p.m.
That timeline matters for residents considering a run for Oro Valley Town Council. Under HB 2022’s calendar change, prospective candidates should expect earlier filing and campaign planning deadlines than previously published and confirm the updated schedule directly with the Town Clerk’s Office.
HB 2022 also includes a “curing” provision designed to prevent the date change from invalidating paperwork already in circulation: nomination petitions and papers that still show the former Aug. 4, 2026, primary date may still be submitted for the July 21, 2026, primary, and filing officers are directed not to reject them solely because the date changed. The Secretary of State’s office additionally said candidates do not have to file a new Statement of Interest or restart their petition process simply because the primary moved.
What changes for voters
For Oro Valley voters, the most immediate impact is that the deadlines tied to the primary move up as well.
Under the updated statewide and Pima County timelines, the voter registration deadline for the July 21 primary is June 22, 2026, and early voting begins June 24. The Secretary of State’s office lists July 10, 2026, as the last day to request an early ballot by mail for the primary.
Local bottom line
In practical terms, the law compresses the runway for candidates and voters alike. Council hopefuls must organize earlier to meet petition and filing requirements, and voters must register and make vote-by-mail requests earlier to participate in the primary.
For Pima County voter information, visit www.recorder.pima.gov.
To learn more about HB 2022 and election changes, click here.
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