Voters to decide whether rural communities should have voice in determining whether initiatives make ballot

Arizona voters this election will decide whether petition signatures gathered by backers of citizen initiatives should come from a broader cross-section of Arizona

The proposal

Proposition 134 seeks to maintain the existing total signature requirements for initiatives and referendums in Arizona but proposes amendments to the state constitution that would refine how signatures are gathered. The proposed changes are:

• For constitutional amendments, proponents would be required to gather signatures from at least 15% of qualified electors in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts.
• For statutory amendments, proponents must collect signatures from at least 10% of qualified electors in each district.
• For referendums, proponents would have to gather signatures from at least 5% of qualified electors in each district.

The current rules

Under current rules, ballot measure proponents can gather petition signatures from any part of the state as long as the signer is a qualified registered voter. There is no requirement for signatures to be collected from a broad geographic cross-section of the state, and there is nothing to prevent proponents from gathering signatures from just one area of the state. As a result, petition circulators have no reason to seek signatures from beyond urban areas, leaving rural voters with little say in whether a proposal should secure a spot on the statewide ballot.

The measure was referred to the ballot by the state Legislature last year. It passed the Arizona state Senate on a party-line 16-13 vote, with all Senate Republicans in support. The state House of Representatives approved the amendment by a 31-29 vote, again along party lines.

Proponents’ view

“Oftentimes, measures can qualify for and pass at the ballot with only the signatures and votes from our state’s largest county. This disenfranchises rural voters, especially when controversial measures that are not supported by many of Arizona’s diverse communities are put on our ballot,” said Victor Riches, president & CEO of the Goldwater Institute. 

“Requiring signatures from each legislative district provides the same protection to Arizona’s citizens. Without requiring geographical distribution, an initiative can be on the ballot with only the signatures from one populous area of the state disenfranchising rural communities,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “Prop. 134 will require greater voter involvement. Citizens from all areas of the state would need to sign any ballot initiative providing fair and balanced representation of the entire state.”

For more information on Proposition 134 click here.