Article Summary –
Arizona voters face over a dozen ballot measures this November. Key measures include ending judicial term limits, altering primary elections to favor political parties, and imposing geographical signature requirements for citizen initiatives. Citizen-led initiatives aim to protect abortion rights and introduce open primaries. Other measures propose legislative oversight of agency budgets, life sentencing for child sex trafficking, reduced minimum wage for tipped workers, and penalizing cities not enforcing homelessness laws. The proposals reflect attempts by the GOP legislature to bypass the Democratic governor’s vetoes.
Arizona voters will find over a dozen measures on the ballot this November, covering topics from lifetime appointments for judges to tax refunds for property owners.
The state legislature referred 11 measures to the 2024 ballot, the most since 1984. The increase is partly an attempt by the Republican-controlled legislature to circumvent Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto and avoid compromising with Democrats.
Two citizen initiatives also qualified: the Arizona for Abortion Access Act and the Make Elections Fair Act.
Below are the propositions, divided into constitutional amendments and state statutes. Amendments to the constitution are harder to change, while statutes cover day-to-day laws.
Descriptions are split into a shorter explanation—TL;DR—and a longer overview. Read the official ballot language on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website.
Constitutional Amendments
Proposition 133: Political parties nominate candidates
Legislative referral, previously HCR 2033
TL;DR: Requires partisan primaries, banning ranked-choice voting, and lets parties nominate candidates.
Overview: This proposal mandates primary elections for all recognized political parties.
Proposition 134: District requirements for citizen initiatives
Legislative referral, previously SCFR 1015
TL;DR: Requires initiatives to collect signatures in 30 different state parts.
Overview: This would change the requirements for citizen initiatives by needing signatures from 10% of voters in each legislative district.
Proposition 135: Restrictions on emergency powers
Legislative referral, previously HCR 2039
TL;DR: Limits the governor’s emergency powers to 30 days unless extended by the legislature.
Overview: This proposal would limit the governor’s emergency powers and require legislative approval for extensions.
Proposition 136: Lawsuits against citizen initiatives
Legislative referral, previously SCR 1041
TL;DR: Makes it easier to sue citizen initiatives to stop them from being put on the ballot.
Overview: Allows lawsuits against initiatives with enough signatures to qualify for the ballot if filed 100 days before the election. Read more here.
Proposition 137: End term limits for judges
Legislative referral, previously SCR 1044
TL;DR: Ends term limits for judges and gets rid of retention votes.
Overview: This would end term limits for judges on the Arizona Supreme Court and most county courts.
Proposition 138: Reduced minimum wage for tipped employees
Legislative referral, previously SCR 1040
TL;DR: Changes minimum wage calculation for tipped workers to a percentage of the regular minimum wage.
Overview: Proposition 138 seeks to change the tipped wage from a $3 reduction to 25% of the minimum wage.
Proposition 139: Arizona for Abortion Access
Citizen initiative
TL;DR: Makes abortion care a constitutionally protected right and prevents penalties for providers.
Overview: This would restore abortion rights and include protections for healthcare providers offering the procedure. Read more here.
Proposition 140: Make Elections Fair
Citizen initiative
TL;DR: Creates an open primary system and allows non-partisan ballots.
Overview: This would remove the requirement for closed primaries, allowing for open primaries and different voting methods like ranked-choice voting.
State Statutes
Proposition 311: New fines to fund new public benefit
Legislative referral, previously SCR 1006
TL;DR: Adds a $20 fine to all criminal offenses to fund life insurance for first responders killed on the job.
Overview: This would create a public life insurance fund for first responders killed by criminal acts.
Proposition 312: Tax refund for property owners
Legislative referral, previously HCR 2023
TL;DR: Creates a tax refund for property owners claiming financial hardship due to nearby homelessness.
Overview: This proposal allows property owners to request tax refunds if they document costs due to homelessness-related issues.
Proposition 313: Mandatory life sentence for child sex trafficking
Legislative referral, previously SCR 1021
TL;DR: Mandatory life sentence for anyone convicted of felony sex trafficking, including victims.
Overview: This law would impose a life sentence for any child sex trafficking conviction, with no exceptions. Read more here.
Proposition 314: Warrantless arrests over immigration suspicions
Legislative referral, previously HCR 2060
TL;DR: Allows warrantless arrests and stricter penalties for businesses employing immigrants and fentanyl-related offenses.
Overview: This measure allows for warrantless arrests and imposes stricter penalties for immigration violations and fentanyl distribution.
Proposition 315: State agency budget oversight
Legislative referral, previously SCR 1012
TL;DR: Requires legislature to approve state agency budget changes over $500,000.
Overview: This proposal mandates legislative approval for significant state agency budget changes. Read more here.
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