Arizona Special Election: Voters decide on Props 123, 124

PHOENIX (AP) -- Voters across Arizona headed to the polls to decide the fate of education funding and pension overhaul measures at a special election.

Prop 123 was too close to call with 49% of voters saying no and 51% of voters saying yes with about a 20,000 vote difference. Prop 123 would fund education by increase distributions from the state land trust to benefit Arizona schools and colleges.

Prop 124 appears to have passed with 30% of voters saying no and 70% of voters saying yes. Prop 124 permits the state to adjust benefits to the Public Safety Retirement System to fix under funding and benefit increases.

Tuesday's election was a test into whether efforts Maricopa County took to avoid a repeat of the long lines seen during the March presidential primary worked.

The county nearly doubled the number of voting centers from the 60 it used in March. And because independents who make up the largest voting bloc in the state are eligible this time, county elections department spokeswoman Elizabeth Bartholomew says officials hope to see much smoother voting.

The four most populous counties in the state mailed out more than 1.8 million early ballots. More than 42 percent of those ballots were returned by Monday morning.

Voter information about Props 123, 124:
http://www.azsos.gov/elections/voting-election/election-information

May 17 Special Election results:
http://apps.azsos.gov/election/2016/special/results/2016SEResults.htm