Arizona Proposition 121, Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative (2012)

Arizona Proposition 121
Election date November 6, 2012
Topic Primary election systems
Status Defeated
Type Initiated constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

Arizona Proposition 121 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in Arizona on November 6, 2012. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported this constitutional amendment to replace the party primary election system with a top-two primary election system in which all candidates regardless of party affiliation run in the same primary and the two candidates who receive the most votes proceed to the general election.

A "no" vote opposed this constitutional amendment to replace the party primary election system with a top-two primary election system.

Election results

Arizona Proposition 121
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		662,366	33.07%
No		1,340,286	66.93%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 121 was as follows:

“

CREATING AN OPEN PRIMARY GIVING ALL QUALIFIED VOTERS THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATES OF THEIR CHOICE, PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF ARIZONA; AMENDING ARTICLE VII OF THE CONSTITUTION OF ARIZONA RELATING TO DIRECT PRIMARY ELECTION LAW.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

REPLACES THE CURRENT PARTY PRIMARY ELECTION WITH A "TOP-TWO" PRIMARY ELECTION IN WHICH ALL VOTERS, REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATION, VOTE IN A SINGLE, COMBINED PRIMARY AND THE TOP TWO VOTER-GETTERS FOR EACH SEAT ADVANCE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Constitutional changes

See also: Article 7, Arizona Constitution

The ballot measure would have repealed and replaced Section 10 of Article 7 of the Arizona Constitution.

Support

Arguments

• Paul Johnson, Chairman of the Open Government Committee: "Under the existing taxpayer-funded partisan primaries, small minorities of voters select candidates who often represent the ideological extremes of the parties. Under the current system, Independent voters, who are the fastest growing category of voters in Arizona and the U.S., have little or no role in the process. … Allowing every voter the right to vote in every election will result in elected officials who have to be accessible to all voters not just the powerful few. It will encourage elected officials to be more respectful and listen to views of others for the public good."
• Carolyn Allen, Vice-Chair of the Grand Canyon Institute, and Jack August, Secretary of the Grand Canyon Institute: “The Open Election Open Government Act, while not a panacea, allows every voter the right to vote in every election. Winning politicians, instead of addressing narrow ideological groups inside partisan primaries, will be required to talk to people in the other party as well as independents. This should moderate Arizona’s politics.”
• Bill Whitaker, Chairman of Arizona’s Fire Fighters: “This simple change will reduce the influence of political parties and lobbyists, meanwhile encouraging more independent, solution-minded candidates to seek office. Proposition 121 will empower voters, giving us more and better choices and a louder voice in the election process. No more will partisan primaries - paid for by taxpayers and dominated by handpicked candidates from one party - cater to a small group of voters who pick a winner while shutting out independents and the rest of us.”

Opposition

Arguments

• Gov. Jan Brewer (R): “This measure is an arrack on Arizona’s political parties and an attack on our election process itself. Most disturbing, it threatens to create new opportunities for ‘sham’ candidates whose sole purpose is to mislead voters and fraudulently impact the outcome of Arizona elections. This is not ‘open elections, open government’ at all. Proposition 121 may have a ‘catchy’ title, but it will usher in a selection process that threatens the voice of Arizona voters.”
• Barbara Klein, President, and Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer, First Vice President of the League of Women Voters of Arizona: “The ‘spoiler effect’ remains. Supporters claim having only two candidates advance to the general election ensures a majority vote without spoiler effect from third candidates. However, as the California election just showed, ‘spoiler effect’ in the primary would be alive and well - and devastating. There are solutions to election structure in Arizona. Just not this!”
• State Rep. Debbie Lesko (R): “This initiative could prevent whole blocks of voters from voting for someone from their own party in the general election. Many legislative districts are heavy Republican or Democrat leaning. In a heavy Republican-dominant district it is likely a registered Democrat wouldn’t even make it to the General election. Conversely, a registered Republican likely won’t make it to the General election in a Democrat-dominant district, leaving thousands of voters with no one from their party to vote for in the general election.”

Background

See also: Electoral systems on the ballot

The following is a list of statewide ballot measures to enact top-two primaries:

State	Year	Type	Title	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
FL	2020	CICA	Amendment 3		5,854,468 (57%)	4,410,768 (43%)
AZ	2012	CICA	Proposition 121		662,366 (33%)	1,340,286 (67%)
CA	2010	LRCA	Proposition 14	a	2,868,945 (54%)	2,470,658 (46%)
OR	2008	CISS	Measure 65		553,640 (34%)	1,070,580 (66%)
CA	2004	CICA/SS	Proposition 62		5,119,155 (46%)	5,968,770 (54%)
WA	2004	CISS	Initiative 872	a	1,632,225 (60%)	1,095,190 (40%)

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Arizona

In Arizona, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 15 percent of the votes cast at the preceding gubernatorial election.

See also

2012 Measures

• 2012 Measures
• Primary election systems on the ballot
• 2012 legislative sessions

Arizona

• Arizona ballot measures
• Arizona ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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

External links

• Arizona Voter Guide (2012)