How much is a seat at the Legislature worth? For a dozen candidates in the Aug. 28 primary election, the answer was at least $10,000 — of their own money.

So far, candidates competing for seats this year in the Arizona Legislature spent more than $3 million. Outside groups spent another half a million dollars.

Vernon Parker (Photo from Vernonparker.com) Former Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker took a narrow lead in the GOP primary for Arizona’s 9th Congressional District, but two competitors are nipping at his heels.

Election officials are reporting a light turnout at precincts for today’s primaries.

Back-to-back court hearings are scheduled Thursday on dueling lawsuits over whether Arizona voters will decide the fate of an initiative proposal to dramatically change how the state conducts primary elections.

Supporters of a proposed initiative to create a “top-two” primary elections system allege that Maricopa County election officials improperly invalidated hundreds of petition signatures and are going to court in a bid to get the Open Elections/Open Government Act on the November ballot.

A proposed voter initiative revamping Arizona's primary election system will not be on the November ballot because backers failed to collect enough valid signatures.

Arizona's voter registration numbers are down heading into the state's primary election next week.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled today that a proposed initiative to create a “top-two” primary election system can go to the November ballot, overturning a lower court ruling that the initiative violated the state Constitution.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge issued an injunction against the Open Elections/Open Government Act today, ruling that a provision on the election of political parties’ officers violates a rule requiring ballot initiatives to focus on a single subject.