Ballot Propositions 101: Be Prepared Ahead of Election Day

You’re registered to vote. You know the presidential candidates. You know who is running for the open Senate seat in Arizona and even who the candidates are in your Arizona legislative district. But your two-page ballot arrives in the mail, and you’re faced with over a dozen questions on policy topics ranging from immigration and emergency powers to primary elections. (See what’s on your ballot here.)

What do you do? 

Our Valley Leadership Civic Engagement Impact Team envisions a world where all Arizonans are informed, able, and empowered to actively engage in our democracy at all levels. However, we know this is hard. Researching each and every ballot proposition and understanding the nuances of the sometimes critical policy implications can be confusing and time consuming.

Our Team is working to put together some nonpartisan tools to help you understand what you’re voting for as well as explain the fundamentals of ballot propositions. Here are some helpful definitions for you.

What is a ballot measure or proposition?

A ballot measure or proposition is a form of policy (a new law, regulation, or constitutional amendment) that is brought before voters for approval. They are sometimes called initiatives or referendums.

What is the difference between an initiative and a referendum?

An initiative is a proposition that is led by citizens. Registered voters may submit a proposed amendment to state statute or constitution to the Arizona Secretary of State. A petition signed by 10% (or 15% for a constitutional amendment) of registered voters is required to get an initiative on the ballot.

A referendum can refer to either a veto referendum or a legislative referendum.

A legislative referendum is a proposition that is referred to the voting public by the legislature. Legislators may choose to refer any piece of legislation to the ballot. However, all constitutional amendments must be voted on by the public.

A veto referendum is a citizen-led effort to veto a law or part of a law through referring the policy to the ballot. Citizens must submit a petition and gather signatures from 5% of registered voters.

What are the propositions on my ballot in November?

There are thirteen state-wide ballot propositions on the ballot. Additional propositions may be on your ballot based on where you live. That is a lot!  Way more than usual, even.

The VL Civic Engagement Impact Team is working to develop resources and non-partisan explainers for each of these propositions. Stay tuned in this space for more details.

In the meantime, you can find a list of all the propositions here and read full descriptions from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office here.

Why should I pay attention to the propositions about primaries?

Our VL Civic Engagement Team is paying special attention to two propositions on the ballot this year that are contradictory and confusing and could fundamentally shape how Arizonans vote.

• Proposition 133 is a legislative referendum and constitutional amendment that would require partisan primary elections for all partisan offices. This means each party would maintain a separate primary ballot, and each general election may have at least one candidate from each party.
• Proposition 140 is a citizen-led initiative that would require a single, open primary ballot for all candidates, regardless of party affiliation. This means all candidates would be listed on one ballot and future legislation would determine the number of candidates that appear on the general election ballot.