The 8 ballot propositions to know for Arizona's election
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The lawsuits are over and ballots are being finalized, and though Arizonans won't get to vote on school vouchers in November, there are plenty of other propositions to sort through.
Why it matters: Ballot propositions give voters an opportunity to decide the laws for themselves, rather than rely on state legislators.
- Voter approval is the only way to amend the Arizona Constitution.
- And statutory changes are nearly untouchable by the Legislature because of the 1998 Voter Protection Act.
Catch up quick: The Arizona Supreme Court ruled last week that the Protect Education Act, a proposal to impose strict new rules on the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, didn't have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
- The high court also rejected another proposal, referred by the Republican-controlled Legislature, that would have ensured that military families could continue banking unused voucher money for future use while invalidating in its entirety any law that violated the provision, including the Protect Education Act.
That leaves eight statewide propositions on the ballot:
Prop 141: Amends the Arizona Constitution to preemptively bar state and local governments from imposing taxes or fees on vehicles based on the number of miles driven, or from monitoring or limiting mileage.
Prop 142: Amends the Arizona Constitution to expand a 2010 affirmative action ban by prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies at the state and local level, including by giving preferential treatment based on race or ethnicity in hiring or academic admissions.
Prop 144: Amends the Arizona Constitution to require all voters, including those who vote by mail, to show valid government ID "before casting a ballot in each election." It's unclear how people who vote by mail would do that.
- State law already requires that people show ID to register to vote and vote in person, and the identities of people who vote early are verified through signatures on ballot envelopes.
- The Arizona Supreme Court ruled against a legal challenge that sought to kick it off the ballot.
Prop 316: Caps municipalities' sales taxes on food at 2%, and requires voters to approve any increases. Preexisting taxes above 2% can remain in place but are frozen.
Prop 317: Declare drug cartels as terrorist organizations under state law and direct the Arizona Department of Homeland Security "to do everything in its authority to address threats posed" by them.
Prop 318: Bar transgender athletes from using restrooms, locker rooms and showers used by teams from public and private schools and athletic associations if they don't correspond with the athletes' biological sex recorded on their birth certificates. Also strengthens preexisting bans on transgender athletes playing on single-sex sports teams that don't correspond with their biological sex.
Prop 319: Ban use of photo radar traffic enforcement by state and local governments. Anyone who already has a contract for photo radar cameras before the end of 2026 could only continue using them with voter approval.
Prop 320: Require school districts in Arizona's most populous counties, or districts with at least 7,500 students, to spend a minimum of 60% of their operating budgets on direct instructional expenses.