School Board Elections 2026: Who's Who and the Ballot Questions

The candidate challenge period in Maricopa County is underway. But there's still time to file as a write-in candidate.

A shortage of school board candidates led to 81 canceled races in Maricopa County in 2024. Two years later, the current number is lower, though the 2026 process is not yet final.

The deadline to file paperwork to run for a school board seat in a Maricopa County school district has passed. As of July 12, 2026, nearly 30 school board races are currently flagged for possible cancellation because some have no candidates, while others have only enough candidates to fill the available seats.

Let’s take a look.