A group of power-hungry politicians has voted to put a set of highly deceptive propositions on your ballot this November. They want to make voting more difficult for Arizonans, hollow out our schools with funding cuts, and institute blanket mandates in school sports. You can help stop these propositions this election by voting no on Propositions 142, 144, 318, and 320.
The SparkNotes Version of Our Guide:
Here’s a breakdown of the most harmful propositions.
Prop. Number
What it does
Our Recommendation
Prop 142
What it Does:
Censors what can be said in our schools and institutions by rolling back our First Amendment rights.
Our Recommendation: 
Vote No
Vote NoProp 144
What it Does:
Effectively eliminates your ability to vote by mail entirely – a safe and secure method used for decades in Arizona.
Our Recommendation: Vote No
Vote NoProp 318
What it Does:
Expands state power by imposing a one-size-fits-all mandate into law that treats kindergartners the same as college athletes.
Our Recommendation: Vote No
Vote NoProp 320
What it Does:
Does not send a dime of new funding to Arizona schools or teachers. It forces schools to cut teacher pay if they don’t meet arbitrary benchmarks set by a political appointee.
Our Recommendation: Vote No
Vote NoProposition 142
Prohibit Race- or Ethnicity-Based Preferential Treatment, Public Education Offices, and Disciplinary Policies Amendment
A confusing change to our state’s constitution that censors what can be said in our schools and other institutions by rolling back First Amendment rights. This is a thinly veiled attempt to give the state more power over how schools and other agencies are able to conduct business and what they can say. Even more confusing, Prop 142 carves out exemptions in specific areas, including health services and law. Prop 142 gives the government more control over what we can and can’t say in certain settings.
“NO” Endorsements- ACLU
- Attorney General Kris Mayes
- League of Women Voters Arizona
- Civic Engagement Beyond Voting
- Tempe Mayor Corey Woods
“Yes” Endorsements- We have not found any organizations endorsing, but the group of Turning Point supported politicians who wrote this proposition is urging a yes vote.
Arizona Capitol Times
“Ideas are not illegal, and there is no ‘government-approved’ speech exception to the First Amendment.”
Proposition 144
Voter Identification Requirements Amendment
Voting by mail is used reliably by most Arizonans. This will lead to its eventual elimination. Why?
This amendment will change Arizona’s State Constitution to make it harder, and potentially impossible, to vote by mail. Citizenship is already a prerequisite for receiving a ballot, and we already have safe and secure elections. Prop 144 undermines the whole purpose of voting by mail by requiring Arizona voters to submit redundant proof of identification before mailing in their ballots, in every single election. No other state with a strong vote-by-mail program does this.
Americans already waste a combined 12 billion hours each year filling out government forms, filing taxes, and dealing with our government’s bureaucracy. There is no need to subject Arizonans to additional, unnecessary requirements. Vote no on Prop 144 to protect voting by mail. Politicians are just trying to make things harder for you for no good reason.
“NO” Endorsements- ACLU
- Attorney General Kris Mayes
- League of Women Voters Arizona
- Secretary of State Adrian Fontes
- Democratic and Republican County Elections Officials
- Mi Familia Vota
- Faith Leaders
“Yes” Endorsements- We have not found any organizations endorsing, but the group of Turning Point supported politicians who wrote this proposition is urging a yes vote.
Ballotpedia
“[Prop 144] would force everyone who votes by mail to resubmit a copy of their ID or passport every time they vote in an election, defeating the purpose of Arizona’s convenient, accessible, and safe ballot-by-mail system. These proposals could even end voting by mail altogether at the legislature’s whim. Instead of strengthening voter participation across the state, [the amendment adds] unnecessary barriers to the voting process, without explaining how complicated new requirements would be realistically carried out. This is a recipe for disaster.”
Axios Phoenix
“Amends the Arizona Constitution to require all voters, including those who vote by mail, to show a valid government ID before casting a ballot in each election. It’s unclear how people who vote by mail would do that.”
Proposition 318
Require All Schools and Athletic Associations to Restrict Sports Participation
A brazen attempt by legislators to expand state power with a one-size-fits-all sports mandate that treats kindergartners the same as college athletes. Prop 318 puts the state in the dangerous position of undermining the choices that parents, educators, and coaches make on who can and can’t participate on a sports team. A league of five-year-olds gets treated the same way as a Division I college team.
This measure may seem reasonable to some, but read the fine print. Prop. 318 takes decisions away from parents, educators, coaches, and athletic organizations and puts them in the hands of politicians who don’t even know our kids’ names. This isn’t about sports. It’s about expanding state government into decisions it doesn’t need to be involved in.
“NO” Endorsements- ACLU
- League of Women Voters Arizona
- Attorney General Kris Mayes
- Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman
- Faith Leaders
“Yes” Endorsements- We have not found any organizations endorsing, but the group of politicians who wrote this proposition is urging a yes vote.
The Gila Herald
“Every kid deserves the chance to learn, play, and belong — no matter their race, gender, or where they come from. But the same politicians invading students’ privacy with unnecessary gender checks, bullying transgender kids off sports teams, and separating immigrant children from their families are also cutting money from our schools to give breaks to their wealthy friends. Arizonans aren’t fooled. We can see when politicians are trying to play us against each other to distract from what they’re really doing.”
American Journal News
“As a mom, I know that parents just want to protect their kids—on the playing fields and across Arizona. Rules about keeping sports fair and safe for young people should be made by the people who know the most—parents, coaches, and sports associations—not politicians.”
Proposition 320
Require Certain School Districts to Spend 60% of Operational Spending on Instruction
Arizona has ranked as low as 50th in the nation for education funding. Prop 320 does nothing to solve the problem, and it only makes it worse. Prop 320 asks voters to approve penalties now and let a political appointee write the rules later. Then, if schools are unable to meet specific spend requirements – which haven’t even been determined yet – they would face tough choices between firing nurses, counselors, school safety and other support staff, or massive across-the-board funding cuts. This is just another attempt to give the state more power over what happens in and to our schools. You wouldn’t write someone a blank check, so why would you give a political appointee the power to set the rules after the measure has already passed? Prop. 320 asks voters to hand over more control now and find out the details later.
“NO” Endorsements- Arizona Education Association
- Arizona School Nurses’ Association
- Attorney General Kris Mayes
- Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman
- Education Forward Arizona
“Yes” Endorsements- We have not found any organizations endorsing, but the group of politicians who wrote this proposition is urging a yes vote.
Prop. 320 would lead to massive cuts to critical services that don’t count as “direct instruction,” like safety and security, counselors, speech pathologists, librarians, sports, nurses, social workers, transportation, technology support, building maintenance, and food service. This is bad for children, our communities, and our economy.
The Arizona Republic
Whatever ultimately falls outside Prop. 320’s 60 percent threshold is not necessarily waste. Nurses and counselors, transportation, campus safety, librarians, technology, maintenance and Arizona air conditioning all help make instruction possible. The other 40 percent isn’t synonymous with waste. In many cases, it’s what makes the 60 percent possible.