Arizona voters will face decisions on eight propositions for their November 3 ballots. All of the propositions were referred to the ballot by the Republican-dominated Arizona Legislature, known as House Concurrent Resolutions (HCRs) or Senate Concurrent Resolutions (SCRs). None are citizen-introduced propositions. Prop. 212, a citizens-initiated initiative which would significantly curtail Arizona’s popular school choice program known as Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), was thrown off the ballot by the Arizona Supreme Court for illegally collected petition signatures, and remanded to the trial court to determine if it can return.
Prop. 141: Bans mileage-based taxes on vehicles
SCR 1004, a constitutional amendment, would ban all levels of government in Arizona from imposing any tax or fee based on the number of miles a vehicle travels. It also prohibits rules or laws that monitor or limit vehicle miles traveled without a person’s consent. Supporters frame it as a preemptive block on potential replacements for the gas tax amid the rise of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Prop. 142: Bans DEI
HCR 2044, another constitutional amendment, expands existing bans on race-based preferential treatment. It would prohibit public institutions from compelling individuals to endorse DEI or intersectionality tenets, and from using public money to fund offices that promote race-based preferences. Carve-outs exist for academic coursework, research, student groups and instruction about historical events such as slavery or the Holocaust.
Prop. 144: Election integrity
Known as the “Fast Election Results Act,” constitutional amendment HCR 2001 requires all voters, including those voting by mail, to show government-issued ID and states that only U.S. citizens may register and vote in Arizona elections. Currently, federal-only voters are only required to affirm that they are citizens, they are not required to show proof of citizenship. It also bans foreign nationals from contributing money or anything of value to influence Arizona elections, and gives voters the right to have ballots tabulated at their voting location.
Prop. 316: Caps grocery taxes
HCR 2021 caps local sales taxes on groceries and food for home consumption at 2% of the base price. Cities and towns that already charge more than 2% would have their rates frozen rather than reduced. Any new or increased grocery tax would require voter approval, which cannot exceed 2%.
Prop. 317: Designates drug cartels as terrorist organizations
HCR 2055 would officially designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations under Arizona law. It directs the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to take action against the threats they pose. The measure also includes language clarifying that nothing in it supports an asylum claim by an alien.
Prop. 318: Bans transgenders from opposite gender restrooms and locker rooms in education involving sports
HCR 2003 would require schools and athletic associations to restrict restrooms, locker rooms, showers and other private spaces to the sex listed on a person’s original birth certificate. It expands existing rules on sports teams so that teams must be designated by biological sex beginning in 2027. The restrictions would apply not only to public schools but also to private athletic groups such as youth leagues.
Prop. 319: Bans photo-enforcement traffic camera systems
SCR 1004 generally prohibits state agencies and local governments from installing or using new photo-enforcement (traffic camera) systems after December 31, 2026. Governments that already operate such systems would need voter approval to continue them; any approval would last only 10 years before another vote is required. It effectively puts the future of speed and red-light cameras in the hands of local voters.
Prop. 320: Limits the amount of school funding that go to administration
SCR 1032 requires large school districts (those with 7,500 or more students, or any district in Maricopa or Pima counties) to spend at least 60% of their operational budget on direct classroom instruction. The requirement would phase in over several years, with the Auditor General defining “direct instructional expenses.” Non-compliant districts would face gradual reductions in Classroom Site Fund money until they meet the threshold, beginning with a 25% decrease and rising to eliminating 100% of their funding if the noncompliance continues.
The Secretary of State will be publishing ballot arguments from interested parties prior to the election on November 3.