Election Day was mostly a rough night for election reformers across the board, from primary reform to new voting methods to gerrymandering. However, it would be a mistake to suggest that this means voters are okay with the status quo.
Early voting is set to kick off in Arizona this week, and the state Supreme Court has put to bed a legal battle over Prop 140 that has dragged on well past the printing of ballots. The high court ruled that votes for Prop 140 will count.
Arizona voters will have several ballot measures to consider when they receive their November ballot. Among them is Proposition 140, which if passed would end partisan primaries in the state and give independent voters and candidates level footing in the elections process.
The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that voter pamphlet language describing a nonpartisan primary reform initiative as a ranked choice voting initiative can stay.
Nonpartisan reformers know what is coming when they propose changing the way voters elect public officials. Inevitably, those who benefit from the status quo will turn to the courts to prevent voters from having a say.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian on Monday sided with reformers who claimed that Arizona lawmakers were intentionally trying to mislead voters about their initiative to end partisan primaries.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a ballot initiative that would require state lawmakers to adopt a primary system that allows all voters and candidates, regardless of party, to participate on a single ballot.
Arizona is ground zero for a novel approach to voting reform that is not getting any attention from the national press, but could have tremendous implications for future elections and provide a fairer process for all voters -- regardless of their political affiliation.
Shawn Griffiths
