County elections officials across Arizona are mailing early ballots to voters for the May 18 special election on a proposed temporary sales tax increase to help balance the state budget.

The deadline for registering to vote in the May 18 special election is late Monday night.

Regardless of what you may have read elsewhere, no one has a decisive lead in the GOP primary race to replace Congressman John Shadegg, who is retiring at the end of the year. There have been three "polls" released by candidates in the race so far, and none of them are worth a lick.

The system that allows Arizona residents to use government money to campaign for political office is teetering after a federal judge ruled earlier this year that a major component of the scheme is unconstitutional. Many powerful special interest groups, nonetheless, are hoping to deliver the knockout blow at the ballot box this fall, rather than wait for it to collapse on its own.

Arizona's elections chief says the state needs to overhaul a portion of its campaign finance laws to maintain an informed electorate after the nation's top court gave corporations the ability to pay for political advertisements.

They come from various age groups, religions and ethnic backgrounds. Some are wealthy, while others are struggling college students. But they are united by one belief: The state is moving in the wrong direction - and they've decided to do something about it by running for office.

Year-end campaign finance reports filed with the SOS recently by the state GOP and Democratic parties show a noticeable lack of individual contributors.

The Republican primary election in a rural Arizona district is shaping up to be an exciting one, as a term-limited member of the House has announced he will challenge the district's incumbent Republican senator.

Three lawmakers who plan to run for Congress are planning to leave the Arizona Capitol even before the legislative session heats up.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission has renewed a $6,500-per-month contract with lobbyist Mike Williams, setting up another battle over the fate of the public campaign-funding system. Todd Lang, director of the Clean Elections Commission, said hiring a lobbyist was necessary to protect a system he credits with increasing political participation of the public and encouraging people to run for office.