By Jason Barry | AZFamily

A ballot mistake could create some confusion in a Phoenix school board race.

A federal judge has ruled that election officials are not allowed to declare any winners in the race for two open seats on the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board.

Maricopa County election officials have confirmed that a ballot error was made, telling voters in the Phoenix Union district to choose no more than two candidates in the race when it should have said no more than one.

Aden Ramirez is one of four candidates running for the two open seats.

He said the mistake was caught a couple of weeks ago after early ballots had gone out.

“We know it was accidental. It was not intentional at all,” said Ramirez. “But now, it’s how can we reduce the harm that could possibly come to electorate and voters.”

Typically, voters in most races can vote for however many seats are open in an election.

But not in the Phoenix Union High School District, which had a consent decree issued in 1990, as part of a lawsuit to ensure that minority candidates aren’t discriminated against.

The decree requires voters to select one candidate for two open seats.

Attorney Logan Elia, with the Rose Law Group, explained that a federal judge was asked to step in and address the ballot error, but it’s not that simple.

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“I think what Judge (Murray) Snow is saying is, let’s wait and see what the results of this election are and whether or not those results impact any of the concerns under the Consent Decree or Voting Rights Act that are at issue in litigation… Because if they don’t, maybe there is no need to hold a special election.” – Logan Elia, partner and litigation attorney at Rose Law Group