Judges would no longer have to face the voters except in limited circumstances, and anyone voters decide to boot from office this year would get to keep their job under a measure on the November ballot.

The big picture: Under the current system, Arizona Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges must go before the voters every six years for an up-or-down vote on whether they remain on the bench, and superior court judges in Coconino, Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties must do so every four years.

• Proposition 137, which GOP lawmakers referred to the ballot, would end most retention elections.

Zoom in: Judges would only have to go up for retention if they're convicted of felonies or crimes involving fraud or dishonesty, if they file bankruptcy, have a mortgage foreclosed on, or if the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review finds they don't meet performance standards.

• The commission would be required to investigate malfeasance allegations against a judge at the request of any state legislator.
• The measure would be retroactive, so if it passes it'll invalidate any losing retention elections for judges this year.

Why it matters: Retention elections are most voters' only say over who sits on the bench.

• The 1974 voter-approved "merit selection" system created them, which ended most judges' direct elections except in less populous counties.
• In Maricopa County, retention elections can take up an entire page of the ballot.

The intrigue: Democrats are running a campaign to oust Supreme Court Justices Clint Bolick and Kathryn King over their votes to reinstate Arizona's pre-Roe abortion ban.

• Liberal advocacy group Progress Arizona announced its plans in April, and the Protect Abortion Rights committee was formed last month.
• The National Democratic Redistricting Committee and Planned Parenthood Votes are also targeting Bolick and King as part of a national campaign over Supreme Court seats.
• Republicans are pushing back with a campaign group called Arizonans Protecting Freedom.

Between the lines: If you're looking for information on this year's retention elections — presuming the results end up mattering — the Commission on Judicial Performance Review has you covered.

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A Diné woman will begin a six-day horseback ride through the Navajo Nation on Sunday, hoping to register Native voters before November's election.

Why it matters: Indigenous citizens who live on rural reservations face extra barriers to register because of spotty broadband access and citizenship documentation requirements, rider and activist Allie Redhorse Young told Axios.

The big picture: Strong Native American turnout is credited as one of the factors that led to President Biden's 2020 win in Arizona.

Driving the news: Young and her father will chart a nearly 50-mile ride Sunday through Friday with stops in Kayenta, Rough Rock, Many Farms, Chinle, Burnside and St. Michaels.

• Young said she hopes to have 20 riders join her on each leg, and to register a few hundred people throughout the journey.

What they're saying: "When we turn out to vote we can make the difference in a lot of these battleground states," Young told us. "It's one way that we rebuild our power."

Context: Native Americans gained U.S. citizenship 100 years ago, but only gained the right to vote in Arizona in 1948.

State of play: She told us she decided to host the first horseback registration ride this year to make sure people are prepared to vote, so they aren't turned away in November.

• "Half of the beast is registration," Young said.

What's next: The other half is making sure people get to the polls, which is why she will also host a "Ride to the Polls" event once voting starts to lead Navajo voters to their closest voting locations.

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Phoenix is among the big U.S. cities where commuters run into the least traffic, at least measured by how fast we're able to drive, per a new report from Lyft.

The big picture: Lyft rides to or from work locations in Phoenix during peak commute times reached an average speed of just under 27 miles per hour over the last year.

• That's much quicker than many East Coast cities, where some average speeds are less than 15 miles per hour.

What they did: The company analyzed public data sources and millions of Lyft rides to identify cities with the shortest, cheapest and greenest commutes.

• Phoenix had one of the least expensive commutes based on parking, gas and public transportation costs.

The bottom line: When you're frustrated by the Broadway Curve construction traffic, take a moment to appreciate we don't live in Philadelphia or Boston.

🔥 The Siphon Fire in the Superstition Mountains prompted an evacuation order yesterday for Tortilla Flats and areas around Canyon Lake. (Arizona's Family)

📖 New laws passed by the Legislature this year go into effect on Saturday, including legislation on homemade tamales, backyard chickens, off-road vehicles and the resale of concert and sports tickets. (AZcentral)

🤑 Arizona's minimum wage will go up by 35 cents to $14.70 an hour in January. (Capitol Media Services)

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell called on lawmakers to toughen penalties for gang-style group attacks known as "swarming." (KTAR)

Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley?"

How it works: We show you something cool. You tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets a shout-out in the newsletter.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this City of Phoenix emblem?