Goldwater’s Know Your 2022 Arizona Ballot
By The Editors
The Goldwater Institute has taken a position on the following measures that will be on the ballot for Arizona voters in 2022. The Goldwater Institute is supporting Proposition 128, Proposition 129, Proposition 132, and Proposition 309; and opposing Proposition 209, Proposition 211, and Proposition 310.
Prop 128: Most of the destructive initiatives that have appeared on Arizona ballots over the past few election cycles have been developed and funded by out-of-state special interests. As such, they are often poorly vetted and legally questionable. This occurred in 2020 when a leftwing entity from Portland bankrolled the massive Prop 208 tax increase. Prop 128 helps address this problem by giving the Arizona Legislature the latitude to amend ballot measures that the courts determine contain unconstitutional or illegal language. Vote Yes on Prop 128.
Prop 129: The Arizona Constitution prohibits the Legislature from crafting bills that pertain to multiple, unrelated subjects. Unfortunately, ballot measures are immune from this requirement, and out-of-state special interests have exploited this loophole by placing multi-subject issues into a single initiative in an effort to mislead voters. Prop 129 stops this practice by ensuring that ballot measures apply to only a single subject, thereby preventing radical “wish lists” from becoming law. Vote YES on Prop 129.
Prop 132: The burden for increasing taxes on hardworking Arizonans should always be high. Prop 132 would require a 60 percent affirmative vote for any ballot measure seeking to increase taxes. This puts proposed ballot tax increases in line with legislative tax increases, which already require a two-thirds majority in order to be implemented. Vote Yes on Prop 132.
Prop 309: Although ballot harvesting is illegal in Arizona, it is very difficult to enforce the prohibition against it. The Arizonans for Voter ID Act addresses this issue by requiring voter ID for all forms of voting, be it in-person or by mail. This makes the illegal practice of harvesting ballots nearly impossible. Vote Yes on Prop 309.
Prop 209: The deceptively titled Predatory Debt Collection Protection Act is yet another destructive measure funded by a California union. This measure would severely inhibit ALL lenders from collecting on both secured debts and judgments. If passed, Prop 209 would shift the burden of these unpaid debts to other borrows and discourage businesses from issuing credit to Arizonans for items such as appliances and vehicles. Vote No on Prop 209.
Prop 211: This constitutionally dubious measure is a full-frontal assault on free speech. It would force free-market and other private organizations that speak out on issues to publicly disclose all their donors. Prop 211 is a blatant attempt to intimidate citizens from giving to organizations that challenge big government ideologies. Vote No on Prop 211.
Prop 310: At a time of record inflation and gas prices, increasing taxes on Arizonans is a recipe for disaster. Prop 310 imposes a $200 million sales tax increase on Arizonans to fund fire districts, despite the fact that the state and municipalities are sitting on massive budget surpluses that could easily be used to fund additional fire services. Vote No on Prop 310.
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This article was produced by In Defense of Liberty, a project of the Goldwater Institute, and is reproduced with permission.
TAKE ACTION
How Not to Vote in Arizona
The 2022 midterm election is fast approaching. The system for voting in Arizona is predominantly by mail-in ballots (around 80% of all ballots). The ballots will be mailed out to all voters registered for mail-in voting on October 12th. The actual ‘day’ of the election is Tuesday November 8, 27 days later.
Once upon a time when all voters went to the polls on the day of election, the tabulated results were announced the night of the election date. If the result of a specific race was razor thin and less than a legislated margin, a recount might prevent the naming of a winner. That was the exception for calling the results of the election.
It is still this way in most first world countries but not the United States and certainly not Arizona. Voting rules (some unconstitutional) were dramatically altered in many states in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.
We at The Prickly Pear are very concerned about the flaws in Arizona’s predominant ‘mail-in’ voting system.
Please click on the red TAKE ACTION link below to learn How Not to Vote in Arizona as a mail-in ballot voter and to be certain your vote is included in the count the evening of November 8th.
This article is courtesy of ThePricklyPear.org, an online voice for citizen journalists to express the principles of limited government and personal liberty to the public, to policy makers, and to political activists. Please visit ThePricklyPear.org for more great content.
