Arizona Election and Voting Policies Initiative (2022)

Arizona Election and Voting Policies Initiative
Election date November 8, 2022
Topic Elections and campaigns and Voting policy measures
Status Not on the ballot
Type State statute	Origin Citizens

The Arizona Election and Voting Policies Initiative was not on the ballot in Arizona as an initiated state statute on November 8, 2022.

A "yes" vote would have supported making changes to state election and voting policies, including early voting; presidential electors; automatic and same-day voter registration; voting policies for Native American tribes, those with disabilities, and those with court-ordered guardianship; campaign contribution limits; and initiative and referendum processes.

A "no" vote would have opposed making changes to state election and voting policies, including early voting; presidential electors; automatic and same-day voter registration; voting policies for Native American tribes, those with disabilities, and those with court-ordered guardianship; campaign contribution limits; and initiative and referendum processes.

Overview

The ballot measure would have made several changes to state election and voting policies including:

• Early voting;
• Presidential electors;
• Automatic and same-day voter registration;
• Voting policies for Native American tribes, those with disabilities, and those with court-ordered guardianship;
• Campaign contribution limits; and
• Initiative and referendum processes.

Measure design

Click on the arrows (▼) below for summaries of the different provisions of the constitutional amendment.

Early voting: Changes to early voting policy

The initiative would have renamed the early voting list from the active early voting list to the permanent early voting list. Any voter on the early voting list would have been automatically sent an early ballot for any election at which they are eligible to vote. The initiative would have repealed provisions providing for the removal of voters from the early voting list if they do not vote using an early ballot in all eligible elections for two consecutive election cycles and do not reply to a notice sent by election officials. The Arizona Legislature passed and Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed legislation in May 2021 changing the state's permanent early voting list to an active early voting list and enacting the provisions for the removal of voters from the list that this initiative would have repealed.

The initiative would have required county recorders to operate early voting centers at the recorders' offices between the day the county mails early ballots through 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election.

The initiative would have allowed a voter to give an early voting ballot to another person to deliver to the mail, polling place, or dropbox. It would have repealed the existing law that makes it a felony to collect another person's ballot. It would have made it a felony to collect a ballot and intentionally fail to deliver it.

Presidential elections: Require election of presidents to be governed by election law

The initiative would have required that the election of the state's presidential electors be governed by the election law in effect on January 1 of the presidential election year.

Voter registration: Establish same-day voter registration

The initiative would have repealed the requirement that voters are registered by the 29th day before an election to be able to vote in that election. It would have allowed same-day voter registration. The initiative would have also required a dedicated poll worker to assist with voter registration at any polling place during early voting and on election day.

The initiative would have provided that anyone qualified to register to vote would be registered or have their registration updated when they applied for a driver's license or reported a change of name or address to the department of transportation unless they opted out of registration, a policy called automatic voter registration (AVR). It would have also instructed the secretary of state, in consultation with county elections officials, to adopt rules to facilitate the registration of high school students.

The initiative would have allowed and required the electronic transfer of voter registration information to the secretary of state from any agency designated as a source agency. The initiative would have also required the secretary of state to establish an online system for voter registration or updating registration information that a person could use without providing a driver's license number.

The initiative would have required agencies that receive and transfer voter registration information to the secretary of state under the initiative to accept tribal identification numbers and nontraditional residential addresses, including addresses that can be identified by mile markers or geographic features.

The initiative would have required county recorders to check change-of-address information provided by the postal service and, if a registered voter's address changes, update the address with regard to voter registration. Existing law required the recorder to check records every year and to change voter registration records if the voter moves to a new address within the same county and requires the recorder to provide information on how to register to vote. The initiative would have repealed existing provisions changing a voter's status from active to inactive if the voter does not reply to an address-change notice.

Voting policy regarding tribes: Require election officials to communicate with tribes regarding elections

The initiative would have required elections officials to give notice to and coordinate with tribes or tribal representatives regarding the conduct of elections. Unless a tribal representative certifies that no tribe members live in a county, the initiative would have required at least one early voting and election day voting center on tribal land in a location identified by a tribal representative.

Disability voting policies: Establish that people with disabilities to vote with or without assistance

The initiative would have stated that any person with a disability has a right to vote in person with or without assistance, including while sitting in their car, by mail, or through the phone if the secretary of state reviews and approves vote-by-phone technology.

Court-ordered guardianship voting: Establish that people under legal guardianship cannot have their ability to vote incapacitated without findings

The initiative would have also required that any court order placing a person under guardianship cannot incapacitate that person regarding the right to vote without specifically stating so and providing factual findings in support of incapacitating the person regarding the right to vote.

Campaign contribution limits: Change campaign contribution limits

The initiative would have made multiple changes to campaign contribution policies, including reducing campaign contribution limits from $6,250 to $1,000 for local and legislative candidates and $2,500 for statewide office candidates.

Citizens Clean Elections Commission funding: Authorize funding of dropboxes and voting equipment

The initiative would have authorized any public body to request funding from the CCEC for ballot drop boxes and voting equipment.

Initiative and referendum process: Change initiative and referendum process

The initiative would have made changes to initiative and referendum processes, including requiring substantial compliance with laws instead of the existing strict compliance requirement.

Text of measure

Full text

The full text of the ballot initiative is available here.

Support

Arizonans For Free and Fair Elections led the campaign in support of the ballot initiative.

Supporters

• Arizona Democracy Resource Center

Opposition

Opponents

• Fmr Rep. John Shadegg (R)

Path to the ballot

Process in Arizona

In Arizona, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute is equal to 10 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Petitions can be circulated for up to 24 months. Signature petitions must be submitted four months prior to the election at which the measure is to appear.

The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2022 ballot:

• Signatures: 237,645 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was July 7, 2022.

If the secretary of state certifies that enough valid signatures were submitted, the initiative is put on the next general election ballot. The secretary of state verifies the signatures through a random sampling of 5 percent of submitted signatures working in collaboration with county recorders. If the random sampling indicates that valid signatures equal to between 95 percent and 105 percent of the required number were submitted, a full check of all signatures is required. If the random sampling shows fewer signatures, the petition fails. If the random sampling shows more, the initiative is certified for the ballot.

Stages of this initiative

Arizonans For Free and Fair Elections filed an initial version of the ballot initiative (#I-13-2022) on December 15, 2021. On February 7, 2022, the campaign filed an amended version of the initiative (#I-16-2022).

On July 7, Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections submitted 475,290 signatures for the ballot initiative.

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed a lawsuit in the Maricopa County Superior Court regarding the initiative. On August 19, 2022, Judge Joseph Mikitish rejected about 75,000 signatures after reviewing challenges in 32 different areas, including registrations, paperwork, and eligibility of paid circulators.

On August 24, 2022, the secretary of state reported that 298,878 signatures were found valid after county review and that the measure qualified for the ballot.

The Arizona Supreme Court asked Judge Mikitish to explain his conclusion about the number of invalid signatures. On August 26, Mikitish said that additional signatures were invalid and that the initiative failed to make the ballot by 1,458 signatures. The Supreme Court upheld this revised order.

Lawyers for Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections responded, "In reversing itself today, the trial court has done something never done before in Arizona initiative practice and which is not authorized by statute. It has allowed initiative challengers to strike individual signatures under (the law), for any reason, AND allowed them to benefit from the invalidity rate calculated by the County Recorders’ random sample that the challengers DID NOT include in this lawsuit."

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club released a statement, which said, "[the ruling] vindicates what we knew all along: the radical Free and Fair election initiative lacked enough lawful signatures to qualify for the ballot. The other side knew it too, and that is why their lawyers tried to get the court to adopt a rigged methodology to calculate the final number of valid signatures that would sneak their disqualified measure onto the ballot."

Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections also released a statement, which said, "Certain politicians have been intentionally trying to attack the ballot measure process for over a decade to prevent voters from being able to make decisions about Arizona’s future at the ballot box. Today’s decision is a continuation of these attacks and reflects an increasingly extreme MAGA agenda."

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Arizona

Click "Show" to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Arizona.

How to cast a vote in Arizona

Poll times In Arizona, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Registration Check your voter registration status here. To vote in Arizona, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of an Arizona county. A voter must be 18 years or older on or before Election Day. To be eligible to vote in an election one must register at least 29 days prior to the election. Individuals can register online, in person at the county recorder's office, or by mail. Automatic registration Arizona does not practice automatic voter registration. Online registration See also: Online voter registration Arizona has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registration Arizona does not allow same-day voter registration. Residency requirements Arizona law requires 29 days of residency in the state before a person may vote. Verification of citizenship See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States Arizona requires voters to submit proof of citizenship with their voter registration application to vote in state and local elections. According to the Arizona Secretary of State's website: "A registrant who attests to being a citizen but fails to provide proof of citizenship and whose citizenship is not otherwise verified will be eligible to vote only in federal elections (known as being a 'federal only' voter)." Accepted proof of citizenship include: An Arizona Driver's License/Identification Number Indian Census Number, Bureau of Indian Affairs Card Number, Tribal Treaty Card Number, or Tribal Enrollment Number A photocopy of U.S. naturalization documents A photocopy of a birth certificate and supporting legal documentation (i.e., marriage certificate) if the name on the birth certificate is not the same as your current legal name. A photocopy of a U.S. passport. A photocopy of a Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or Bureau of Indian Affairs Affidavit of Birth. On August 22, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency order partially granting the Republican National Committee and Arizona Republicans' request to enforce a 2022 law related to proof of citizenship requirements. The court allowed the enforcement of the provision requiring the state to reject state voter registration forms submitted without proof of citizenship. Previously, a person who submitted a state voter registration form without proof of citizenship could still be a federal only voter. After the court's ruling, a person unable to provide proof of citizenship would need to submit a federal voter registration form in order to vote in federal elections. All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters. Verifying your registration The Arizona Voter Information Portal, run by the Arizona Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online. Voter ID requirements Arizona requires voters to present photo identification or two forms of non-photo identification while voting. The following were accepted forms of identification as of July 2024: Click here for the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information. Voters can present one of the following forms of ID that contain the voter’s photograph, name, and address: Arizona driver’s license U.S. federal, state, or local government-issued ID, issued with printed name and address Arizona ID card Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal ID If a voter does not have one of the above forms of ID, the voter can present two of the following forms of ID that contain the voter’s name and address: Utility bill in the voter's name Bank or credit union statement that is dated within 90 days of the date of the election Valid Arizona vehicle registration Arizona vehicle insurance card Indian census card Property tax statement Recorder's certificate or voter registration card Tribal enrollment card or other tribal ID Valid U.S. federal, state, or local government-issued ID with a printed name and address or Any mailing in the voter's name that is labeled "official election material"   Additionally, if a voter presents photo ID that does not list an address within the precinct in which he or she wants to cast a vote, that person may present the photo ID with one non-photo identification material from the second list above. The identification material should include the voter’s address.

See also

2022 measures

• 2022 ballot measures
• Elections and campaigns on the ballot
• Voting policy measures on the ballot

Arizona

• Arizona ballot measures
• Arizona ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls