Initiative backers sue for spot on Arizona ballot

Supporters of an initiative proposal to revamp Arizona’s primary election system are going to court to win it a spot on the November ballot.

The suit filed Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court seeks to overturn a determination that supporters didn’t collect enough valid petition signatures.

State officials say county officials who checked a random sample of petition signatures found nearly 30 percent of those were invalid, mostly because the signers weren’t registered voters.

More than 100,000 signatures were disqualified, leaving supporters about 10,000 short of the nearly 260,000 needed.

Supporters say their checks of Maricopa County’s signature checks found that numerous signatures were erroneously rejected.

Under the initiative, voters could vote for any candidate regardless of party affiliation, with the top two vote-getters advancing regardless of party affiliation.