Laws governing ballot measures in Arizona

Laws governing ballot measures
State
• Laws governing state initiative processes
• Laws governing state recall processes
• Changes to ballot measure law in 2025
• Difficulty analysis of changes to laws governing ballot measures
• Analysis of 2025 changes to laws governing ballot measures
Local
• Laws governing local ballot measures
Learn about Ballotpedia's election legislation tracker.
2026 » « 2024

This page provides an overview of resources addressing the laws and procedures that govern statewide and local ballot measures in Arizona, including the initiative and referendum process, constitutional amendments, signature requirements, recall procedures, and campaign finance regulations.

Explore the links below for more information:

• Types of ballot measures in Arizona
• Laws governing the initiative process in Arizona
• Amending the Arizona Constitution
• Laws governing local ballot measures in Arizona
• Signature requirements for ballot measures in Arizona
• Laws governing recall in Arizona
• Laws governing state constitutional conventions in Arizona
• Campaign finance requirements for Arizona ballot measures
• Changes to laws governing ballot measures in Arizona

Laws governing ballot measures in Arizona

Types of ballot measures in Arizona

• Arizona has three types of citizen-initiated ballot measures: initiated constitutional amendments, initiated state statutes, and veto referendums.

• In Arizona, the legislature can refer constitutional amendments, state statutes, and constitutional convention questions to the ballot.

• From 1911 to 2024, voters decided 225 legislatively referred ballot measures in Arizona.

Laws governing the initiative process in Arizona

• In Arizona, citizens have the power to initiate state statutes or constitutional amendments, as well as the power to repeal legislation through veto referendums.

• The initiative and referendum powers were established with voter ratification of the state's constitution in 1911.

• From 1911 to 2024, voters decided 219 citizen-initiated ballot measures in Arizona.

Amending the Arizona Constitution

• Arizona became a state in 1912. The current state constitution was ratified in 1911.

• The Arizona Constitution can be amended in three ways:
  • Legislatively referred constitutional amendment: The state legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot, with a simple majority vote in each legislative chamber. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
  • Initiated constitutional amendment: Citizens can initiate constitutional amendments in Arizona.
  • Convention-referred constitutional amendment: A state constitutional convention can vote to refer constitutional changes to the ballot.

Laws governing local ballot measures in Arizona

• Article IV, Part 1 of the Arizona Constitution provides for initiative and referendum at the local level, including city, town, and county measures.

Signature requirements for ballot measures in Arizona

• In Arizona, the number of signatures required for ballot initiatives is tied to the total number of votes cast for the governor in the preceding election.
  • An initiated constitutional amendment requires a number of signatures equal to 15% of the votes cast for governor.
  • An initiated state statute requires a number of signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast for governor.
  • A veto referendum requires a number of signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast for governor.
• Campaigns have 24 months to collect signatures for initiated statutes, and all signatures must be filed four months before the election in which the measure would appear on the ballot. Signatures for veto referendums are due 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was approved.

Laws governing recall in Arizona

• According to Article 8 of the Arizona Constitution, "every public officer in the state of Arizona, holding an elective office, either by election or appointment, is subject to recall from such office."

• The number of signatures required to qualify for a recall attempt for the ballot is 25% of the number of votes cast in the last election for that office. Recall supporters have 120 days to collect signatures.

Laws governing state constitutional conventions in Arizona

• The state legislature can only call for a Amending the Arizona Constitution|convention if it is approved by the electorate in a statewide vote.

• Approval of the constitutional convention question requires a simple majority vote.

Campaign finance requirements for Arizona ballot measures

• PACs that support or oppose ballot measures in Arizona must register and report campaign finance.

Changes to laws governing ballot measures in Arizona

See also: Changes to laws governing ballot measures

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

See also: Changes in 2025 to laws governing ballot measures

• Senate Bill 1040: The bill changed recall election requirements: extends county recorder time to review signatures from 60 to 75 days; extended scheduling timeline from 90 to 120 days; and changed petition requirements, signature requirements, and signature deadlines.

SB 1040 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	28	0	2	58	0	2
Democratic (D)	11	0	2	26	0	1
Republican (R)	17	0	0	32	0	1

• Senate Bill 1463 (Vetoed): Would have required constitutional initiative petitions to include a summary of statutes that may be affected and would have changed petition formatting requirements.

SB 1463 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	17	11	2	31	27	2
Democratic (D)	0	11	2	0	27	0
Republican (R)	17	0	0	31	0	2

• House Bill 2515 (Vetoed): Would have changed information required for taxation notices for school districts, community colleges, and special taxing districts to show estimated taxes for homes valued at both $100,000 and $400,000.

HB 2515 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	18	11	1	34	23	2
Democratic (D)	1	11	1	2	23	1
Republican (R)	17	0	0	32	0	1

• House Bill 1534 (Vetoed): Transfers responsibility of preparing ballot language from the secretary of state and attorney general to the legislative council for statewide measures, and to local city, town, or county officials for local measures; limits ballot titles to 50 words with a clear summary of the effect of a yes and no vote.

HB 1534 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	17	12	1	33	25	2
Democratic (D)	0	12	0	0	25	0
Republican (R)	17	0	1	33	0	2

See also: Changes in 2024 to laws governing ballot measures

• Proposition 136: The amendment would provide for challenges to an initiative measure or constitutional amendment after the filing of the measure with the secretary of state.

Proposition 136 (SCR 1041) Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	16	12	2	31	29	0
Democratic (D)	0	12	2	0	29	0
Republican (R)	16	0	0	31	0	0

See also: Changes in 2023 to laws governing ballot measures

• Senate Concurrent Resolution 1015: The constitutional amendment required voter approval on November 5, 2024. The constitutional amendment was designed to create a signature distribution requirement for citizen-initiated ballot measures. As of 2023, a campaign for a citizen-initiated statute needed to collect signatures equal to 10% percent of the votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election, a campaign for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment needed to collect 15%, and a campaign for a veto referendum needed to collect 5%. Under SCR 1015, campaigns would need to collect that percentage from each of the state's legislative districts.

SCR 1015 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	16	13	1	31	29	0
Democratic (D)	0	13	1	0	29	0
Republican (R)	16	0	0	31	0	0

• State Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-13), the lead sponsor of the amendment in the Legislature, said, "Right now, we need 10% of those who voted in the last gubernatorial race to sign petitions saying something should be on the ballot. But they can all be from Maricopa County, or all from a condensed area of the state. What this is saying is, ‘No, we want some buy-in from across the state.’"
• Jenna Bentley, Director of Government Affairs at the Goldwater Institute, said, "Initiatives are difficult to repeal or fix if there are issues, even technical changes. We feel that it is important that these ballot measures get vetted as well as they possibly can. This just says that if you’re going to put a measure on the ballot, you need to go to every legislative district to do it."
• State Sen. Juan Mendez (D-8), who voted against the amendment, said, "This is effectively going to allow a single partisan (legislative district) to block the desires of the whole state."
• Brandy Reese, a spokesperson for Civic Engagement Beyond Voting, said, "This creates an incentive for groups that want to block good ideas or protect their own interests — especially ones with deep pockets — to put a lot of money into blocking and creating a hurdle in one specific legislative district which would cause all of the 29 others’ (efforts) to fail."

See also: Changes in 2022 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Concurrent Resolution 2015 (Proposition 132): The constitutional amendment required a 60% vote for voters to pass ballot measures to approve taxes. Voters approved the constitutional amendment at the election on November 8, 2022.

See also: Changes in 2021 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 2308: The legislation enacted several changes to the laws governing recall elections, including changing the recall petition format, requiring paid circulators and out-of-state circulators to register with the state, creating a misdemeanor charge for omitting or misrepresenting information on a circulator registration application, creating a felony charge for forging a signature on a recall petition, and allowing a person to withdraw their signature from a recall petition.

• House Bill 2364: The bill required persons or organizations submitting arguments for informational election pamphlets to include a sworn statement and identifying information, including name, telephone number, and residential address. Under HB 2364, the person's residence address or telephone number does not appear in the pamphlet, but the person's name and town do appear.

• House Bill 2821: HB 2821 created a process for local governments to call a ballot measure election to change the purposes of authorized bond monies until January 1, 2025. Under HB 2821, these elections must be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

• House Concurrent Resolution 2001 (Proposition 129): Voters approved the constitutional amendment on November 8, 2022. The ballot measure required that citizen-initiated ballot measures embrace a single subject.

• Senate Bill 1105: The legislation increased the word count for initiative and referendum descriptions on petitions from 100 words to 200 words.

• Senate Bill 1497: The bill required that the official ballot and secretary of state's website include a notice about Proposition 105, which requires voter approval for substantive changes to voter-approved ballot initiatives.

• Senate Concurrent Resolution 1034 (Proposition 128): Voters rejected the constitutional amendment on November 8, 2022. The constitutional amendment would have allowed the Arizona State Legislature to amend or repeal voter-approved ballot initiatives if any portion has been declared unconstitutional or illegal by the Arizona Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court.

See also: Changes in 2020 to laws governing ballot measures

The Arizona State Legislature did not pass legislation concerning ballot measures in 2020.

See also: Changes in 2019 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 2023: The legislation made tampering with political signs supporting or opposing a ballot measure a class 2 misdemeanor.

• Senate Bill 1451: The legislation changed several policies regarding initiative petitions and initiative petition circulators, including requiring non-resident circulators and paid circulators to register with the state; requiring registered circulators to submit a notarized affidavit confirming that they're eligible and knowledgeable of election laws; prohibiting people who have violated certain election laws, were convicted of felonies without restored civil rights, or convicted of fraud or forgery from registering as petition circulators; requiring that petition signature sheets be rejected for not meeting proper formatting.

See also: Changes in 2018 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 2115: The legislation was designed to conform requirements for school bond elections with general obligation bond elections and rename the bond measure informational report to the informational pamphlet.

• House Bill 2121 (Vetoed): Gov. Doug Ducey (R) vetoed HB 2121 on April 20, 2018. The legislation would have changed the definition of paid circulator to include circulators who receive monetary or other compensation for obtaining signatures on an initiative or referendum petition, rather than circulators who are paid based on the number of signatures collected.

• House Bill 2648: The legislation changed the definition of paid circulator to include circulators who receive monetary or other compensation for obtaining signatures on an initiative or referendum petition, rather than circulators who are paid based on the number of signatures collected.

See also

• Laws governing ballot measures

Footnotes

Laws governing ballot measures in the United States

Laws governing ballot measures

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Changes to laws governing ballot measures

Types of ballot measures

Citizen-initiated ballot measures • Legislatively referred ballot measures • Automatically referred ballot measures • Commission-referred ballot measures • Convention-referred constitutional amendments

Ballot measure policy terms

Glossary of ballot measure policy terms