Arizona Designate Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations and Require State DHS to Address Threats Measure (2026)

Arizona Designate Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations and Require State DHS to Address Threats Measure
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic Criminal sentencing
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred state statute	Origin State legislature

The Arizona Designate Drug Cartels as Terrorist Organizations and Require State DHS to Address Threats Measure is on the ballot in Arizona as a legislatively referred state statute on November 3, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports this ballot measure to declare drug cartels to be terrorist organizations and require the Arizona Department of Homeland Security do "everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels."

A "no" vote opposes this ballot measure to declare drug cartels to be terrorist organizations and require the Arizona Department of Homeland Security do "everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels."

Overview

What would the ballot measure do?

See also: Text of measure

If approved, the ballot measure would do two things:

1. Declare that drug cartels are terrorist organizations.
2. Require that the Arizona Department of Homeland Security do "everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels."

The statute describes drug cartels as any association of persons in which members engage in human trafficking, drug trafficking for profit, or any act of terrorism. The statute describes threat as anything designed to disturb, violate, or harm the public welfare or individual rights guaranteed under the constitution.

What is the Arizona Department of Homeland Security?

The Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) is a state Cabinet-level office that "administers federal grants to State and local agencies to protect [the] border and prevent or reduce Arizona’s vulnerability to terrorist attacks." AZDOHS is a state agency, not an arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. AZDOHS is tasked with administering federal grants related to terrorism and homeland security, acting as the middle man between the federal Department of Homeland Security and state, local and tribal agencies.

While the AZDOHS works closely with law enforcement partners and determines how to administer federal grants for law enforcement agencies, it is not a law enforcement entity in itself. Its employees are not law enforcement officers and do not issue arrests.

How is this ballot measure similar to the 2023 bill vetoed by Governor Hobbs?

See also: House Bill 2675 (2023)

In 2023, the Arizona State Legislature passed House Bill 2675. The bill had similar language to the 2026 ballot measure and would have designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations. However, Governor Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed the bill on April 12, 2023.

In Arizona, bills must be signed by the governor to pass into law, but no governor's signature is required to place a legislatively referred state statute on the ballot for voters to decide. Thus, Governor Hobbs cannot veto the constitutional amendment in the same way she vetoed House Bill 2675.

Text of measure

Full text

Section 1 of the statute is the act that would be added as section 41-4256 in Title 41, Chapter 41 of Arizona Revised Statutes. Section 2 of the statute is composed of the findings presented by the legislature to explain the need for HCR 2055.

The full text of the ballot measure is below:

Expand

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Rep. Michael Carbone (R)
• State Rep. Nick Kupper (R)
• Arizona Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R)
• State Rep. Michele Pena (R)

Arguments

• Arizona Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R-29): "Arizona is on the frontlines of a war that Washington has refused to fight until President Trump arrived. These cartels are not just smuggling drugs; they are running sophisticated, brutal operations that profit off human misery—trafficking women and children, flooding our streets with fentanyl, and killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. This is a necessary step in our fight to defend Arizona communities, uphold the rule of law, and protect innocent lives."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• State Sen. Catherine H. Miranda (D)

Political Parties

• Coconino County Democrats

Arguments

• State Sen. Catherine Miranda (D-11): "It is...weaponizing the ballot to push the Right's anti-immigrant agenda."
• Coconino County Democrats: "[HCR 2055 is] a do-nothing bill, its prime intent seems to be to clutter up the ballot for no good reason."

Campaign finance

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2026

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recent scheduled reports that Ballotpedia has processed, which covered through July 22, 2025. The deadline for the next scheduled reports is October 21, 2025.

Ballotpedia has not found any campaigns that have registered in support or opposition to this ballot measure. If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this measure, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

House Bill 2675 (2023)

On February 5, 2023, then State Rep. Steve Montenegro (R-29) introduced House Bill 2675 (HB 2675) to the Arizona State Legislature. The wording of the bill was similar to the wording of HCR 2055, and would have designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations and required the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to "do everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels." HB 2675 passed the state House on March 1 in a 31-28 vote and later passed the state Senate on April 5 in a 16-14 vote. HB 2675 would not have been placed on the ballot for voters to decide; if it had been passed, it would have become law without voter approval. However, Governor Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed the bill on April 12, 2023.

In the letter declaring her veto of HB 2675, Governor Hobbs said, “Labeling drug cartels as terrorist organizations to deploy state resources is not a real solution and is not a state function.” Concerning the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, she said, “It is not a law enforcement agency. It’s clear there is a lack of understanding of what AZDOHS is charged to do for the people of Arizona.”

In Arizona, no governor's signature is required to place a legislatively referred state statute on the ballot for voters to decide. Thus, Governor Hobbs cannot veto HCR 2055 in the same way she vetoed HB 2675.

House Concurrent Resolution 2038 (2024)

See also: Arizona Declare Drug Cartels are Terrorist Organizations Measure (2024)

House Concurrent Resolution 2038 (HCR 2038) was introduced to the state House on January 23, 2024. The bill had the same wording as HCR 2055, absent the legislative notes and findings that explain the purpose of HCR 2055. It passed the House on February 28 in a 31-28 vote. The state Senate defeated the measure with a 15-14 vote with one senator not voting on June 15. Had the bill been passed by the state Senate, it would have been placed on the 2024 statewide ballot.

Historical actions taken to declare drug cartels as terrorist organizations

Texas 2022 Executive Order

In September of 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations. The order also instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety to take action against the national fentanyl crisis.

2023 Letter from Attorneys General

In 2023, a group of 21 state Attorneys General, submitted a letter to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken. The letter requested that the President and Secretary of State “take decisive action against the Mexican drug cartels by designating” cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Florida 2024 Legislative Memorial

In February of 2024, the Florida State Legislature approved a bill which urged the US Secretary of State to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations so the appropriate means may be used to counter their operations. The bill did not create a binding law in the state, but instead sent a memorial statement to the office of the Secretary of State requesting the federal government designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

President Trump's 2025 Executive Order

See also: Executive Order: Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists

President Trump issued Executive Order 14157 on January 20, 2025. The executive order, one of 26 issued on that date, designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The executive order encompassed both cartels and other transnational organizations, such as Tren de Aragua and La Mara Salvatrucha.

U.S. Department of State 2025 Designation

On February 20, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) announced that the U.S. government would designate the following eight organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Terrorists:

• Tren de Aragua
• Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
• Cártel de Sinaloa
• Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación
• Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas)
• La Nueva Familia Michoacana
• Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel)
• Cárteles Unidos

The press release from the office of the Secretary of State said, "The intent of designating these cartels and transnational organizations as terrorists is to protect our nation, the American people, and our hemisphere...These designations provide law enforcement with additional tools to stop these groups."

Path to the ballot

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Arizona State Legislature to place a state statute on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 31 votes in the Arizona House of Representatives and 16 votes in the Arizona State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Statutes do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

House Concurrent Resolution 2055 (2025)

State Rep. Steve Montenegro (R-29) introduced the statute into the Arizona State Legislature as House Concurrent Resolution 2055 (HCR 2055) on February 11, 2025. The bill moved through the legislature between February 11 and June 27.

• February 26, 2025: The Arizona House of Representatives approved HCR 2055 in a vote of 32-27, with one representative not voting.
• March 26, 2025: The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill with a Do Pass recommendation.
• June 27, 2025: The Senate Rules Committee and the Committee of the Whole both passed HCR 2055 with a Do Pass recommendation. The Arizona State Senate then approved HCR 2055 in a vote of 16-13, with one senator not voting.

Partisan Direction Index = +100.0% (Republican)

Democratic Support

0.0%

Republican Support

100.0%

Arizona House of Representatives

Voted on February 26, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 31
	Yes	No	NV
Total	32	27	1
Total %	53.3%	45.0%	1.6%
Democratic (D)	0	27	0
Republican (R)	32	0	1

Arizona State Senate

Voted on June 27, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 16
	Yes	No	NV
Total	16	13	1
Total %	53.3%	43.3%	3.3%
Democratic (D)	0	13	0
Republican (R)	16	0	1

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Arizona

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Arizona.

How to 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. Arizona also requires voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship to vote for state and local elections

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. Read more about legal challenges to this law here.

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. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. 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

2026 ballot measures

View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Arizona.

• 2026 ballot measures
• Arizona 2026 ballot measures
• Arizona elections, 2026

Arizona ballot measures

Explore Arizona's ballot measure history, including legislatively referred ballot measures.

• List of Arizona ballot measures
• Criminal sentencing ballot measures
• Arizona State Legislature

Legislative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

• Legislatively referred state statute
• Arizona Constitution

External links

• HCR 2055 (2026)

Footnotes

2026 ballot measures

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