The new year brings new opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process with three elections scheduled for 2020 including the race for President of the United States with the November General Election.

In Fountain Hills residents will go to the polls to decide a citizen referendum related to a development project in the community. The election on Tuesday, May 19, is to determine whether voters will let stand the council decisions to amend the town’s General Plan and approve a PAD zoning package for the Daybreak project. Those issues will appear as separate questions on the ballot.

Also on the May 19 ballot is a question asking voters to change the term of the Mayor of Fountain Hills from the current two years to four years. If approved, that change will be effective with the term of office that begins in December 2020.

Speaking of the mayor and Town Council, the current terms of the mayor and three council members will expire this year. Candidates for these offices will begin their campaign work soon, as the deadline to file with the town clerk as a candidate is April 6. The filing window is between March 9 and the April 6 deadline.

Those interested in serving on the council can go to the town website at fh.az.gov to find candidate packets and information they need for collecting petition signatures and filing necessary paperwork to get their name on the ballot. This year, for the first time, candidates must file a “Statement of Interest” before they begin collecting petition signatures.

The primary election for the council seats will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The seat of Mayor Ginny Dickey and Council Members Dennis Brown, Sherry Leckrone and Art Tolis expire at the end of 2020.

Dickey is so far the only incumbent to file a statement of interest to retain her seat. There are three individuals who have filed the statement for the council seats and they include Jerry Friedel, Sharron Grzybowski and Bob Shelstrom.

Brown has made public statements indicating that he does not intend to run again, and Leckrone and Tolis have not yet made their plans known.

The August primary will also include races for the Arizona State Legislature, candidates for the U.S. Senate from Arizona and those to the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as various Maricopa County offices. This election is to determine party candidates for the General Election in November.

The presidential race in 2020 also brings a fourth opportunity for Democrats to cast a ballot with the party’s Presidential Preference Election on Tuesday, March 17.

Only those voters registered with the Democratic Party may vote in this election. Those registered with no party preference or with another organized party are not eligible to vote in the Democrat preference poll.

This election is to determine the party’s candidate to challenge the presumed Republican candidate, President Donald Trump. The Republican Party is not holding a presidential preference election in Arizona this year.

The term of President Trump is up in January 2021 and he is expected to be the GOP candidate on the ballot for the General Election Nov. 3 facing whomever the Democrats select as a candidate. At this time that is a wide field.

The November ballot will also include those running for the U.S. Senate and House as well as the various county offices. Specific to Fountain Hills the General Election ballot will be asking voters to ratify a new General Plan for the town. Also, if there are any undetermined seats on the Town Council dais after the August primary the General Election serves as a runoff for those seats.