Completed mail-in ballots for Tuesday's election on Prop. 414, a sales tax increase that would raise millions for public safety in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, can still be returned to locations across the city.
More than 72,000Â mail-in ballots of nearly 306,000 sent to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ voters for the Tuesday's vote had been returned by Saturday, officials say.Â
Proposition 414 is an $800 million plan that raises the city’s sales for 10 years to mostly pay for items linked to police and fire expenses. The proposition would send about 66% of the expected $80 million per year the higher tax would raise to public safety needs. About 34% would go to address issues related to affordable housing, homelessness and other social needs.
If approved, Prop. 414 would raise the city sales tax rate by a half-cent, from 8.7% to 9.2% for the next decade.
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Ballots for the all-mail election were sent Feb. 12. The mail-back deadline was Wednesday, March 5.
Anyone who missed the deadline can still return ballots nine drop-off locations, or vote there with a replacement ballot.
On Tuesday, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., registered voters can drop off their completed  ballot, or receive and cast a replacement ballot, at the following seven :
More than 72,000Â mail-in ballots for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Prop. 414 election had been returned by Saturday, officials say. There's still time to drop off a completed ballot before Tuesday's 7 p.m. deadline.Â
• Department of Housing and Community Development office, 310 N. Commerce Park Loop
• Morris K. Udall Regional Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road
• Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center, 2160 N. 6th Ave.
• William Clements Recreation Center, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive
• El Pueblo Senior Center, 101 W. Irvington Road
• Parks and Recreation Administration office at Randolph Park, 900 S. Randolph Way
• ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ City Clerk Elections Center, 800 E. 12th Street
Two more locations are for ballot drop-off only. From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, completed ballots can be taken to the Pima County Recorder's downtown office, at 240 N. Stone Ave., as well as the Pima County Elections Department office, at 6550 S. Country Club Road.
The first batch was returned to the city on Feb. 19,Ìý the city clerk’s office.
As of Saturday, over 72,000 ballots had been returned.  says the bulk of those returned, over 26% and 20% of the total, are from Ward 2 and Ward 4 voters, respectively.
The 10-year sales tax, dubbed the “Safe & Vibrant City,†would raise an average of $80 million annually,Ìý the city. About one-third of revenues generated would go toward boosting staffing across city departments, but mostly for police and fire.
The proposition is split into five different areas, deemed “quality-of-life†categories by the city, that would fund housing services,Ìýneighborhoods, youth and anti-crime efforts, as well as several items for first responders, including staffing, upgrades for stations and equipment, investments in technology and revamping the police department’s air support unit.
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