Reject Deceptive Propositions.
Protect the Will of the People.
A group of power-hungry politicians have put a set of highly deceptive propositions on your ballot this election. These misleading and confusing propositions have been designed to trick you into voting away your democratic rights. We’re asking you to vote no on Proposition 134, 136, 137, and 138 to defend the will of the people.
The Spark Notes Version of Our Guide:
Here’s a cheat sheet for decoding a set of confusing propositions on your 2024 ballot. For a deeper dive on each initiative, see our full guide below.
Makes it almost impossible to run a ballot initiative by allowing a small group to block it.
Vote NoLets wealthy corporations bury an initiative they don’t like in lawsuits while it’s still just struggling to gather signatures.
Vote NoCancels all votes on retention elections this year. Makes it impossible to hold the Justices who approved Arizona’s total abortion ban accountable.
Vote NoAllows tipped workers to be paid a sub-minimum wage.
Vote NoProposition 134
This amendment will change the state constitution to make it nearly impossible for voters to put ballot initiatives on the ballot. Arizona already has exceedingly strict signature requirements for citizen initiatives when compared to the rest of the country. This amendment will change the state constitution to make it nearly impossible for voters to put ballot initiatives on the ballot by establishing minimum signature requirements for each legislative district in the state. Due to these requirements, Prop 134 means that even if a citizen initiative receives over 1 million signatures, a tiny area in the state could refuse to sign and thereby invalidate the 1 million other Arizonans’ signatures. Even worse, Prop 134 does not make it any harder for politicians to put initiatives on the ballot – they can continue to do so with a simple majority vote at the legislature. They just want to make it harder on you.
“NO” Endorsements- Arizona Public Health Association
- League of Women Voters of Arizona
- Democratic Elected Officials
“Yes” Endorsements- We have not found any organizations endorsing, but the group of politicians who wrote this proposition are urging a yes vote.
Proposition 136
Another constitutional amendment on the ballot this year that makes it harder for Arizona’s voters to make our voices heard. Prop 136 will allow wealthy corporations and powerful special interests to undermine our democracy by challenging the constitutionality of an initiative before it even files signatures. This will make it so that wealthy special interests can bury a citizen’s initiative in lawsuits before Arizonans even get a chance to weigh in.
“NO” Endorsements- League of Women Voters of Arizona
- Democratic Elected Officials
“Yes” Endorsements- State Rep. Austin Smith (who resigned from the legislature when faced with signature fraud allegations earlier this year)
“This is going to astronomically raise the cost of running these initiatives and I find it deeply, deeply undemocratic.”
Proposition 137
A shameless attempt by legislators to undermine the will of Arizona voters. Proposition 137 cancels every single one of our votes on judicial retention elections this year and for every election going forward. It allows for the political appointment of Arizona Supreme Court Justices for life – empowering them to enact more rulings like the one in favor of Arizona’s 1864 total abortion ban without any accountability. Prop 137 will create a system where the same power-hungry politicians who wrote this measure can handpick judges for life. This isn’t about improving our judicial system; it’s about politicians canceling out your vote so that they can extend their control into every branch of government. Don’t let them get away with this.
“NO” Endorsements- League of Women Voters of Arizona
- Scott Bales, Former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice
“Yes” Endorsements- We have not found any organizations endorsing, but the group of politicians who wrote this proposition are urging a yes vote.
“[Arizona’s judicial elections are] considered a national model for ensuring a fair and impartial judiciary. Proposition 137, a constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, will undermine our merit system. The proposal would diminish the voter’s role, give the Legislature new power over judges, and distract us from changes that could really improve our courts.”
“[T]he point of view of judges should be consistent with the majority of the people of Arizona. And there are times when judges are out of step with our view of justice… It is perfectly appropriate for the people to weigh in.”
“Now as much as ever the people are aware of the tremendous power and the way it can be abused. [Prop. 137] would take away my right and the right of my constituents who want to vote to not retain those justices who approved the 1864 abortion ban. This is what authoritarianism looks like folks. It’s terrifying.
Proposition 138
When you give a server at a restaurant a tip, are you telling the owner of that restaurant that the server should be paid less? If that sounds like a crazy question to you, vote no on this amendment. Prop. 138 reduces the minimum wage for Arizona tipped workers by 25% if they receive tips that cover that gap plus $2. When you tip a worker, their boss shouldn’t get to pocket it. Tipped workers can already be paid below minimum wage in Arizona, and this measure makes that subminimum wage even more extreme for many workers who are already struggling to make ends meet. That’s just not fair.
“NO” Endorsements- Raise the Wage Arizona
“Yes” Endorsements- Arizona Restaurant Association (Members include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and other big corporations)
- State Rep. Justin Wilmeth (R)
- State Sen. Javan Daniel Mesnard (R)
“Well, if they’re saying that the restaurants need to use the tips that the servers earn to cover their responsibility to pay the worker, then that restaurant’s not a very good business.”
“This is going to be in the constitution [if it passes] which is frightening, and that is very hard to change…. the subminimum wage [would] be 25% less than the full minimum wage. It is wild that as the minimum wage continues to go up because of inflation, the gap between the subminimum wage and the full minimum wage will continue to increase.”