Opinion ID: 867580
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: ¶ 1 We issued a dispositive order July 15, 2002 indicating affirmance in part, reversal in part, and an instruction that appellee John Carpenter's name not be placed on the primary election ballot. We also indicated that this formal opinion would follow. ¶ 2 Review was granted in order to consider whether the trial court erred in establishing June 12, 2002 [1] as the deadline for individual electors to withdraw signatures from nominating petitions. Today, we affirm the principle that persons who sign nominating petitions in support of candidates for public office have a common law right to withdraw their own signatures. While the right is not absolute, it nevertheless exists and may be exercised under limited conditions. In the instant case, the trial judge erred in establishing June 12 as the withdrawal deadline. We reverse that part of the lower court's decision. ¶ 3 We affirm the trial judge's finding that Carpenter's prior removal from office as justice of the peace did not render him ineligible as a candidate for the office of constable. ¶ 4 We exercise jurisdiction pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) section 16-351(A) (Supp.2001).