Referendum

Referendum

A referendum is the method by which voters may veto a law (or part of a law) by gathering signatures from registered voters to place the issue on the ballot.

The Arizona Constitution states, "the people reserve the power to . . . use at their own option, the power to approve or reject at the polls, any Act, or item, section, or part of any Act, of the Legislature". Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(1).

The person or organization putting forward the referendum must file signatures with the Arizona Secretary of State within 90 days of when the Legislature that enacted the House or Senate bill in question adjourns sine die (the date of adjournment of the legislative session in which the measure was passed) for the year. Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(4). If enough valid signatures are submitted, the bill will be placed on the next general election ballot. A "yes" vote is a vote to allow the law to go into effect, while a "no" vote essentially constitutes a vote for a citizen veto preventing the referred bill from going into effect. Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(10).

A Referendum Petition was filed with the Secretary of State's Office on September 23, 2022. See the 2022 Initiative and Referendum Guide in the side bar for further details on this process.

Petition Valid Signatures from SOS Review County Review Deadline Estimated Valid After County Review Status
R-01-2022 H.B. 2853 Referral86,640n/an/aDoes Not Qualify for 2024 General Election ballot

The individual or organization wishing to refer a measure to the ballot must either file a Statement of Organization using the Arizona Secretary of State's Campaign Finance Filing System or designate an existing (non-candidate) committee to act as the referendum's sponsor. The Secretary of State will not accept an application without an accompanying statement or designation. A.R.S. § 19-111(A).

Dates and Signature Requirements

Referendum Date and Signature Requirements for the 2024 Election Cycle: Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(3)-(4).

  • Deadline for Submission: 90 days after the legislature adjourns Sine Die
  • Signature Requirements for Referendum Petitions: 127,975

An individual or organization wishing to refer a measure to the ballot must submit an Application for Serial Number stating their intent to circulate a statewide referendum petition. A.R.S. § 19-111(A).. To complete the PDF application, please enter all required fields.

The Arizona Secretary of State's office will complete the remainder of the form and issue a unique serial number to be printed on the front and back of each petition sheet. The Secretary of State's office will also provide instructions regarding proper completion of the Statewide Referendum Petition form. A.R.S. § 19-111.

  • At the time of submission, an Application for Serial Number must include the accompanying title and text of the measure to be referred. A.R.S. § 19-121(B).
  • The minimum number of signatures required to refer a measure to the ballot is equal to 5% of the number of votes casted at the last gubernatorial election. Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(3), (7).
  • The deadline to file referendum petition signatures is no later than 90 days after sine die (the date of adjournment of the legislative session in which the measure was passed). Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(4).

Steps for Preparing a Referendum

  1. Form a political committee through the Arizona Secretary of State's online system or be prepared to designate an existing (non-candidate) political committee to act as the petition sponsor. A.R.S. § 19-111(A).
  2. File an Application for Serial Number with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. A.R.S. § 19-111(A).
  3. Acquire the appropriate referendum petition from the Arizona Secretary of State's Office
  4. Ensure any paid or out-of-state circulators have registered with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. A.R.S. § 19-118(A).
  5. Circulate petitions and obtain signatures from eligible voters. A.R.S. § 19-118(A).
  6. Submit circulated petitions to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office by the statutory deadline. Ariz. Const. Art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(3).
  7. The Secretary of State and applicable County Recorders will process the petitions and determine whether enough signatures were gathered to place the measure on the ballot. A.R.S. §§ 19-121.01; 19 -121.02.

The Arizona Secretary of State's Office is currently operating on an appointment-only basis. To schedule an appointment to file an Application for a Serial Number, please contact our office at [email protected]. Applications for Serial Number may also be submitted via email to the same address above or by mail to:

Secretary of State's Office
c/o Election Division
1700 W Washington St, 7th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Elections FAQ

An early ballot may be requested through our new Voter Information Portal or by contacting your County Recorder’s office. To have your name placed on the Active Early Voter List (AEVL), complete a new voter registration form and check the box marked “YES, I want to automatically receive an early ballot for each election for which I am eligible.” Or you can log in to Service Arizona and complete this request online.

  • Online – If you have an Arizona Driver License and/or an Arizona non-operating I.D. card issued by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) you may register to vote through Service Arizona EZ Voter Registration
    1. Log on to Service Arizona
    2. Select your language preference, then click “Begin Voter Registration”
    3. Verify your voter eligibility
    4. Enter your information in the required fields
    5. Verify address information
    6. You can now select your party preference

    If you are having trouble logging in to the Service Arizona website, you can print off a Voter Registration Form and fill it out with your new information. After you finish, mail the completed form to your County Recorder’s office and your information will be updated.

    If you do not have a residence address, please also complete a 'No Residence Address Confirmation' in addition to the voter registration form.
  • By Mail – You can either print off a form online or request that a registration form be mailed to you from your County Recorder. After completing the voter registration form, mail it to your County Recorder’s office
  • In-Person – You may visit your County Recorder’s office and fill out a registration form in person
  • Address Confidentiality Program Members – You should only register to vote through the ACP process.

After you have successfully registered to vote you will receive a voter registration card in the mail within 4-6 weeks.

If you are a Maricopa County voter, you can process your request here. If you have any questions please call 602-506-1511.

If you are a Pima County voter, you can process your request here. If you have any questions please call 520-724-4330.

To contact your local Election Official please visit https://azsos.gov/county-election-info

 

The voter registration deadline for the General Election has been extended to 5 p.m. on October 15, 2020 by a court order. Check back here often for this and the other trusted information you need throughout the 2020 election season. All voter registration forms sent by U.S. mail must be received on or before the deadline. To see all voter registration deadlines, including for local elections. To see all voter registration deadlines, including for local elections, go to arizona.vote.

The deadline to update your voter registration or register to vote in an upcoming election is midnight on the 29th day before the election. For the 2020 State Primary Election, the deadline to register or update your registration is midnight on July 6, 2020. For the 2020 General Election, the deadline is midnight on October 5, 2020. To see all voter registration deadlines, including for local elections, go to arizona.vote. All voter registration forms sent by U.S. mail must be postmarked on or before the deadline.

Every qualified elector is required to show proof of identity at the polling place before receiving a ballot. Find out what qualifies as an acceptable form of identification in Arizona.

Yes! Arizona has an open primary law which allows any voter who is registered as independent to cast a ballot for one of the officially recognized political parties in State Primary Elections. Independent voters on the Permanent Early Voting List (AEVL) will receive a postcard in the mail asking them to choose which party ballot they wish to receive for the Primary Election. The corresponding primary ballot will then be sent by mail to the voter to complete approximately 27 days prior to the election. Independent voters who go to the polls on Election Day will be given the option to choose a party ballot at that time.

Note: This DOES NOT apply to the Presidential Preference Election. Voters must be registered with a recognized party to vote in the Presidential Preference Election.

The state of Arizona uses E-qual to verify that the person signing the qualifying slip or nomination petition is eligible to do so. After successful verification, the person can give $5 qualifying contribution slips or sign a nomination petition for candidates the person is eligible to vote for in the election.

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If you need assistance using www.servicearizona.com to register or update voter information, please see our ServiceArizona Guide or reach out to our office at [email protected] or by calling 1-877-THE-VOTE.

You do not need postage if you mail your ballot back in Arizona.

All early ballots come with a postage-paid return envelope. There is no need to add postage. Voters should remember to sign and date the return envelope, and to include a phone number in case election officials need to follow up with you.

If you have lost or damaged your ballot-by-mail, you may request a replacement ballot via mail or in-person.

To request a replacement ballot-by-mail, contact your County Recorder’s Office directly. Requests must be made no later than 11 days prior to Election Day. A.R.S. § 16-542(E).

You may also visit a voting location on or before Election Day to vote in-person. Visit my.arizona.vote to find your correct voting location.

The County will cancel your prior ballot if you request a replacement ballot.

No, Official Election Mail cannot be forwarded automatically by the postal service. If you will be out of town during the election, you may request to have your ballot sent to your temporary address. Contact your County Recorder directly to make this request.

To find your County Recorder’s contact information, click here.

You may track the status of your ballot at my.arizona.vote to confirm that it was received and counted.

If you live in Pima County or Maricopa County, check with your county election officials for status updates.

If you have further questions, you can reach out to our office at [email protected] or by calling 1-877-THE-VOTE.

You can also reach out to your county recorder’s office (County Election Officials Contact Information) for further assistance.

Contact Elections

Office of the Secretary of State
Elections Division
1700 W Washington St Fl 7
Phoenix AZ 85007-2808

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