On March 12, a special election will decide who will be the new mayor of Phoenix. Currently, early voting has begun for this election. Two city council seats will also be decided on this ballot.

This election is a runoff following the November mayoral election. The two former city council members who ran in the November election, Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela, were unable to obtain 50 percent of the vote. In order to avoid holding a runoff election, at least one candidate must obtain 50 percent of the vote.

The winner of the election will replace city council member Thelda Williams, who has served as interim mayor since last June. She replaced Greg Stanton, who ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s election. Stanton won the race.

In the election, voters in Gallego’s District 8 and Valenzuela’s District 5 will also decide who will replace them on the city council. The District 8 city council term runs through April 2023. The mayoral and District 5 council terms will run through April 2021.

For those voting before March 8, voters can visit the 15th floor of City Hall to complete their ballots. On March 9, 11, and 12, people who want to vote early in person will be able to vote at 28 voting centers across the city.

Mail-in ballots are being sent to voters now, including people who have requested the ballots specifically for this race and people who signed up for the Permanent Early Voting List. Mail-in ballots can be requested up until March 1.

With these early ballots, voters can mail them or take them back to City Hall in person. They can also be taken to the voting centers that open on March 9. As long as the ballot is received before 7 p.m. on Election Day, the votes will be counted.