Arizonans reject ballot measures for voter ID and more

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(The Center Square) – Arizonans said "no" - repeatedly - to several ballot measures in Tuesday's election.

They rejected proposals to add a voter ID requirement, prevent a per-mileage tax, and further erode diversity, inclusion and equity programs. Voters also said no to a measure requiring school districts to devote 60% of their budgets to "direct instructional spending."

But Arizonans also said "yes" on other measures. Voters passed a proposal to prevent transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's teams. They also passed a ban on cameras to catch motorists speeding or running through red lights. 

While the Secretary of State’s Office continues counting the ballots, The Center Square has the latest results.

Proposition 141

Arizonans had a chance to prevent the state from implementing a per-mileage tax in the future at the ballot box this year, with the state’s electorate appearing to reject efforts to ban such surcharges in the future.

Four states currently have a per-mileage tax: Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Virginia. Others like California, Massachusetts and Michigan have considered them.

The federal government considered experimenting with a per-mileage tax pilot program in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to see if it could help sustain the Federal Highway Trust Fund.

On Tuesday, voters in the 48th State made their voices clear, saying that lawmakers can continue to consider such options in the future, with 51.03% of voters choosing 'no' on Prop. 141.

Proposition 142

A ballot proposition aimed at kneecapping what’s left of Arizona’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs went down by a big margin.

Proposition 142 aimed to prevent taxpayers from supporting race-based policies as a condition for admission at a state university or when it came to graduation, hiring or contracting.

The proposition also aimed to bar public institutions in Arizona from mandating their employees complete mandatory DEI training, make statements supporting DEI or talk about race relations at all.

On Tuesday evening, Arizona’s voters sent a clear message that DEI policies would not be changed, with 62.14% of voters choosing 'no' on Prop. 142. 

Proposition 144

A proposition that opponents warned would kneecap Arizona’s preferred method of voting was defeated on Tuesday night.

Proposition 144, which would require voter ID and ban noncitizens from voting or contributing to state and federal political campaigns, failed early, with 56.81% of voters choosing 'no' on the measure. The proposition was also designed to give voters the option of having their ballot counted at their chosen voting location.  

Opponents of the proposition, such as U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Tucson, said it would kill mail-in voting, which has been the chosen method for more than 80% of voters in the state in 2020, 2022 and 2024.

“This is the most common way to vote in Arizona. Over 80% of people vote by mail,” Kelly said of Prop. 144. “I think it's no coincidence that we're in a midterm election year and that the most popular way to vote in Arizona is under attack.”

Proposition 316

An effort to cap Arizona’s grocery taxes at 2% looks like it will sail through on Tuesday, with 59.02% of voters choosing yes on Prop. 316. 

The proposition aimed to prevent local governments across the state from charging more than 2% in sales tax on food products at stores. Arizona does not impose a sales tax on unprepared food products, though many incorporated municipalities around the state do.

The state’s three biggest cities - Phoenix, Tucson and Mesa - are not among those that have a grocery tax on their books.

It appears that the state at large won't have to worry about such taxes in the future, though, as yes votes on Prop. 316 are up big on Tuesday night. 

Proposition 317

An effort to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists groups on this year’s ballot appears set to pass with voters in Arizona.

Proposition 317 aimed to direct the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to do what it can within its authority to crack down on them, with 54.68% of voters choosing yes on the measure as of Tuesday night. 

On Tuesday, the ballot proposition is on its way towards being cleared by voters, ushering in a new era in border security in the Grand Canyon State.

Proposition 318

A ballot proposition to ban transgender athletes from competing in high school sports competitions appeared to be passed by voters on Tuesday.

Proposition 318 sought to expand the state’s existing ban on transgender athletes from competing in female sports to making athletic associations that sponsor interscholastic or intramural competitions to classify teams by biological sex.

Currently Arizona is one of 27 states with a law on its books stopping transgender athletes from playing in female sports.

As part of Prop. 318, schools and athletic associations would be prevented from letting transgender girls use female locker rooms, bathrooms or private spaces that were considered “integral to athletic engagement.”

On Tuesday, Arizona voters sent a message that the state’s policy did not go far enough, with yes votes holding a 56.6%-to-43.40% edge for Prop. 318 on Tuesday night. 

Proposition 319

An effort to ban speed and red-light cameras passed this year, with Prop. 319 clearing through the 2026 cycle, with 57.98% of voters choosing yes on the measure as of Tuesday evening.

The initiative sought to force Arizona cities or towns that use speed and red-light cameras to win voter approval during the next election cycle to continue doing so, while ones that did not have either could not add them in the future.

Proponents of the proposition, such as Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers, argued such an act would protect Arizonans’ privacy in the future.

“This is about Arizonans who intuitively want their freedom to navigate the roadways without having their picture taken against their will,” she told Arizona’s Family. “That’s wrong. It violates the Fourth Amendment.”

On Tuesday evening, Arizona’s voters sided with Rogers, with Prop. 319 winning early.

Proposition 320

The eighth and final statewide proposition on this year’s ballot concerned school budgets, with Prop. 320 requiring K-12 districts to spend at least 60% of their money on direct instructional spending.

The measure, which would only apply to districts with more than 7,500 students or in counties with more than 500,000 residents, appeared set to not pass Tuesday, with 53.73% of voters choosing no on the measure. 

While the proposition did not define what “direct instruction” was, it did include language about having the Arizona Auditor General’s Office provide that definition in the future.

On Tuesday evening, voters in the 48th State decided against a requirement on K-12 districts in Arizona, with Prop. 320 down big.

How city and county propositions fared

Across the Grand Canyon State, a handful of cities and educational bodies got their own budget propositions on the ballot. 

In Southern Arizona, Pima Community College's first ballot proposition in 31 years (Prop. 430), is up early, with yes votes holding a 131,259 to 116,096 vote advantage as of Tuesday evening. 

The $250 million proposition would cover a host of campus improvements, including a new, $39.8 million Center of Excellence in Public Safety & first responders facility at PCC's East Campus and a $29 million campus police station at the downtown campus, in addition to other projects and bond refinancing costs. 

If it's passed, Pima County taxpayers can expect a $27 per year increase in their property taxes, on average. 

In the Phoenix area, two K-12 school budget propositions that stand out include Mesa Public School's $449 million bond measure and a budget override in Peoria. 

Mesa Public School's Prop. 419, which would raise property taxes by $324 on average, drew sharp criticism of the state's largest school district from multiple corners of the state, given the district's 11.8% drop in enrollment since 2022. 

On Tuesday night, it seems that voters in the East Valley city are on the fence about the measure, with no votes on Prop. 419 currently holding a slight edge, 50.08%-to-49.925. 

On the western flanks of the Phoenix area, Peoria Unified School District's 30-year-long budget override is up early

The district's Prop. 428 seeks to continue the district’s property tax rate of $1.10 per $100,000 of assessed value. The district estimated owners with the average Peoria house value ($236,970) would see their property tax bills go up $261 per year if the override passes.

On Tuesday, voters appear set to side with the school district's desires, with Prop. 428 up, 52.07%-to-47.93%. 

Up north, the city of Flagstaff sought a third sales tax increase in 11 years, with Prop. 404 bumping the rate by 0.5%. 

The proposition, which would fund the city's public safety apparatus, came two years after city voters approved Prop. 488, which upped the local rate from 2.281% (where it stood since 2019) to the current 2.486%. Before that, Flagstaff’s sales tax increased in 2015 (to 2.051%) and 2008 (to 1.721%).

The goal of the measure was to generate an additional $18.2 million per year in tax revenue over the next decade-and-a-half, with proceeds going toward fire and police operations.

On Tuesday night, voters in the heart of Coconino County appear to be cool on the measure, with 51.81% of voters saying no on Prop. 404 so far.