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Your GLSEN Arizona Inclusive Policy Postcard 9/21/2024



GLSEN Arizona gets you ballot ready!


GLSEN Arizona wants you to feel confident once you receive your ballot and we’ve been demystifying the process by defining election jargon, and clarifying what the measures mean. This week, we’re focusing on citizen initiatives.


Arizona is one of nineteen states that allows citizens to petition to change state laws or the state constitution through citizen ballot initiatives. Once a ballot initiative obtains the minimum number of valid signatures from registered voters, it will be placed on the ballot for you to vote on it. This direct democracy gives each of us a tremendous amount of power to create statewide legal changes.

CLARIFYING BALLOT INITIATIVES AND REFERRALS

There will be thirteen ballot questions on the ballot –  eleven legislative referrals (written and placed on the ballot by lawmakers) and two citizen initiatives (written by citizens with hundreds of thousands of valid voter signatures collected) qualified for the ballot: Prop 139, the Arizona Access for Abortion Act and Prop 140, the Open Primaries initiative. 


TL;DR: GLSEN Arizona encourages voters to vote YES on Prop 139 and NO on everything else.


Beyond Prop 139 that enshrines personal reproductive freedom for everyone into the Arizona constitution, the questions posed to voters ask them to abdicate their power to politicians and those already in power. 


Initiatives seeking to change the Arizona Constitution need roughly 390,000 valid signatures from Arizona voters. The Arizona for Abortion Access campaign submitted more than 800,000 signatures (which works out to 1 in 5 voters who learned about Prop 139 and signed the petition to put it on the ballot). Because bodily autonomy is a key foundation of queer advocacy and the same people who work to eliminate gender affirming care, we’re encouraging a Yes vote on Prop. 139


The road to qualification for Prop 140 has been a bit rocky, with multiple court challenges and a competing legislative referral with Prop 133, Prop 140 would amend the Arizona Constitution to open primaries to all voters, regardless of party affiliation. All candidates would appear on the same ballot, which would be sent to all registered voters. Prop 140, also known as the “open primary” citizen initiative which would eliminate partisan primaries and require every candidate to run against every other candidate in a primary. 


Backers of the proposition, Make Elections Fair, say they’re hoping to make it harder for extreme candidates to get into office simply by winning a primary where only the most hardcore voters tend to show up. But Prop 140 has a fatal flaw: instead of setting a firm number for how many candidates to advance from the primary to the general election, it says our politicians must pass laws deciding how many candidates to advance. GLSEN Arizona advocates for the people to decide, not politicians and that’s why we’re encouraging a NO vote on Prop 140.


Also! Lawmakers are also asking voters to weigh in on an opposing measure, Prop 133, that would essentially ban what Prop 140 is trying to do. This one was written by lawmakers as the popularity of “ranked choice voting” started to catch on. We’ll dig into all eleven legislative referrals next week!


WHAT YOU CAN DO

There's a lot you can do:


  • Learn more about the issues and candidates on the ballot.

  • Talk to your family members. Tell them that when LGBTQ+ supportive candidates are elected, we can hold them accountable to vote our values.

  • Check your voter registration - make sure it’s at your current address.

  • Volunteer locally and engage your people.


UPCOMING DEADLINES

  • The voter registration deadline is October 7

  • Early voting starts October 9, 2024.

  • To request a mail-in ballot before Oct. 25, contact your county recorder.

  • The last day to mail in ballots is Oct. 29 - after that, they must be dropped off at a vote center or polling location. 


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