• GET OUT THE VOTE ACTIVITIES
• 2024 BALLOT PROPOSITIONS
• VOTE411 SOMETHING BIG IS COMING YOUR WAY!
• CANDIDATE DEBATES AND FORUMS
• COUNTERING ELECTION VOTER INTIMIDATION
• ELECTION PROTECTION ARIZONA - VOLUNTEEER NOW!
• JUDICIAL RETENTION ELECTIONS

• SCOTUS PROOF OF CITZNSHIP (DPOC) RULING IMPACT ON VOTER REGISTRATIONS
• LWVAZ LITIGATION UPDATES
  

Get Out The Vote (GOTV) - General Election

GET INVOLVED AND VOLUNTEER TO GET OUT THE VOTE!

With tight elections, every vote counts, and it's crucial that all eligible voters cast their ballot. Your efforts can make a difference in ensuring a fair and representative outcome. Together, local and state league efforts can empower voters today!

It takes a minimum of three touches to mobilize a voter to vote. We have already started reaching out to women voters across the state, but we need more volunteers and your help! 

Our GOTV efforts will include texting, phone banking, postcard writing, and door-to-door canvassing. We will be urging women voters to:

• Check their voter registration

• Submit their early ballot

• Know their polling location using the information we provide

• Contact the Election Protection volunteers if they experience any issues voting

Sign me up!    Take me to the Training and Setup!

If the link or code doesn’t work, copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://tinyurl.com/ymjnsm2k.
If you have any issues or need assistance, contact us at LWVAZADVOCACY@gmail.com
 

We need you!  Let's make this happen!

2024 BALLOT PROPOSTIONS: TAKE ACTION NOW!

This November, voters will face an exceptionally long ballot. We urge you and every voter to commit to being informed and to vote the full ballot!

In addition to candidates for federal, state, and local offices—including judges—your most critical responsibility is to shape our future by voting on ballot propositions.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Power of the People:

  • Citizens of Arizona can initiate legislation as state statutes or constitutional amendments.

  • Citizens have the authority to repeal legislation through a veto referendum.

  • The Arizona State Legislature can also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments or statutes.

  • The Arizona Commission on Salaries for Elective State Officers can propose measures as well.

• What’s on the Ballot?

  • Voters will decide the fate of 13 statewide ballot propositions and municipal or school district bonds and overrides.

  • Out of these, 11 are referred by the legislature (4 from the 2023 session and 7 from the 2024 session).  6 are amendments to the state constitution, while 5 affect current state laws.

  • 2 propositions are citizen-led initiatives.

Download the League’s analysis of these 13 propositions today! Knowledge is power—be informed before you vote.

Download English version

Download Spanish version

Watch a recording on Youtube  

VOTERS, WE URGE YOU TO VOTE THE FULL BALLOT! 

Start from the bottom and make your way to the top!

SOMETHING BIG IS COMING YOUR WAY

The candidate information on VOTE411.org will go live on Oct. 3, just in time for early ballot drop on Oct 9, 2024.  State ballot propositions are already live with explanations, impact, and public arguments. And, of course, information on voting and elections - how to, where, and when - is always just a click away.

To get a personalized ballot, enter your address and view the races, candidate information, and propositions up and down YOUR November ballot.  Go through each race, and put a checkmark next to the candidate you plan to vote for. When you are done, return to your list of races and click Finish (upper left in the blue bar). You can print, email, or text your ballot and share it with friends and family.

We invited all candidates on the ballot with verifiable contact information. Although we have asked, not all have answered, despite repeated invitations and emails.

What can I do to help? So glad you asked! 

• Candidate reminders

We need league members to cajole/ remind/ urge/ candidates to participate. 
Go to https://www.vote411.org, enter your address, and see if candidates in your races answered our questions.

If your candidates answered our questions, thank them; use the contact info in their candidate profile.

Sample message:
Thank you for participating in  VOTE411’s Voter Guide so voters can be informed before voting!  Post a link to @VOTE411  on your campaign collateral.

If your candidates did NOT  answer our questions, use the contact info in their candidate profile to reach out and urge them to answer the League's questions! 

Sample message:
As a voter, I want to hear your stand on the issues. That’s why I’m calling on you to participate in the League of Women Voter’s VOTE411’s Voter Guide so I can be informed before casting my ballot! 

We also need volunteers to contact ALL unresponsive candidates.  Email lwvazadvocacy@gmail.com to volunteer, and we will provide lists of contact info and instructions.
Use this opportunity to encourage and persuade candidates to respond. Please be respectful but direct in your messages. When candidates know that voters care about what they stand for, it is in their best interest to respond!
If you or one of the candidates you reach out to has any questions, you can contact us at lwvazadvocacy@gmail.com!

Promote VOTE411 on your social media and to special interest and political groups.

Share information about VOTE411, including our short informative video, How to Use VOTE411, with your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors by email or text. 

Coming Soon - Watch this space for candidate pressure campaigns!

COUNTERING ELECTION VOTER INTIMIDATION 

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS- If you see something say something

The League of Women Voters of Arizona is partnering  with Protect Democracy to educate voters about their rights, and making sure that we stay vigilant and alert. We are asking our members to stay vigilant and if you see something email us at lwvazadvocacy@gmail.com Subject title- election intimidation.

We urge you to read this excellent guidance from Protect Democracy <link to the document>

Voter intimidation, which is illegal under federal and state law, poses a clear and present danger to democracy. When some voters are afraid to cast their ballots, an election cannot be considered free or fair.

Every voter has the right to vote free from fear. That means that they must be able to vote free from threats, coercion, or intimidation, or attempted threats, coercion, or intimidation. Voter intimidation is still illegal, whether or not the offender intended to intimidate. If the conduct someone experienced would be intimidating to a reasonable voter, it is intimidation, regardless of the voter’s race, identity or any other factor beyond the experience of intimidation.  

Background:  

In October 2022, the League of Women Voters of Arizona (LWVAZ) brought a lawsuit to protect voters from intimidation at ballot drop boxes in Arizona. A federal court found that defendants Melody Jennings and her organization (then known as Clean Elections USA)—as well as individuals working with the defendants—had likely violated voter intimidation laws when they engaged in surveillance and harassment of voters at ballot drop boxes during the 2022 election. The Court ordered them to immediately halt intimidating conduct. This litigation is an important victory for voters’ rights, and this resolution will protect voters from intimidation in the future.

The parties have now settled the case. In so doing, the League and Ms. Jennings agreed to publicly condemn intimidation of any kind in connection with the exercise of the right to vote. The terms and obligations of the settlement are confidential. 

Please join Election Protection Arizona as a nonpartisan, volunteer poll monitor for the 2024 General Election! As a nonpartisan volunteer poll monitor, you will assist voters on Election Day should they encounter any problems voting. You will make a crucial difference for voters — connecting them with trained legal professionals and resources they need to safely and securely cast their ballots.

Election Protection Arizona (EPAZ) helps at all stages of voting from registration to voting at the polls on Election Day. Join us in helping voters overcome any barrier from getting the right voter ID to voting from jail! 

Sign up to be an EPAZ volunteer at bit.ly/EPAZVOLUNTEERS!

The Election Protection training schedule is:

• 6pm-7pm on Wednesday, October 2, 2024

• 1pm - 2pm on Saturday, October 5, 2024

• 6pm-7pm on Wednesday, October 9, 2024

• 1pm - 2pm on Saturday, October 12, 2024

• 6pm-7pm on Wednesday, October 16, 2024

• 1pm - 2pm on Saturday, October 19, 2024

• 6pm-7pm on Wednesday, October 23, 2024

• 1pm - 2pm on Saturday, October 26, 2024

To sign up for a training:

• Visit bit.ly/EPAZVOLUNTEERS! 

About Election Protection (EP)

Election Protection (EP) is a national non-partisan coalition with 300+ local, state, and national organizations. More information about EP can be found here.

JUDICIAL RETENTION ELECTIONS
Vote the Full Ballot

Judicial Retention Elections in Arizona: What You Need to Know Before Voting

In Arizona, voters play an important role in deciding whether appointed judges should remain in office through a process known as judicial retention elections. The League of Women Voters of Arizona does not invite judicial candidates up for retention to participate in the VOTE411 Voter’s Guide. Many judicial candidates prefer to maintain a low public profile, and information on judicial retention candidates is generally difficult to obtain.   Nevertheless, there are several steps voters can take to learn more about these candidates and make informed decisions.

Background: How Judges Get on the Bench

Arizona’s judicial selection process combines merit-based appointments and retention elections to balance judicial independence with public accountability. This approach ensures that the state’s judges are qualified and responsive to the people they serve. By participating in retention elections and staying informed about judicial performance, voters can help maintain Arizona's strong, fair, and effective judiciary.

Merit-Based Selection for Higher Courts

For the Arizona Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, judges are appointed through a merit selection process

• A bipartisan nominating commission evaluates applicants and recommends a list of candidates to the Governor.

• The Governor then appoints a judge from that list.

• After being appointed, judges serve an initial two-year term before facing retention elections.

Retention elections are not traditional competitive elections. Instead, voters are asked to vote “Yes” or “No” on whether a judge should be retained. For these courts, retention elections occur every six years.

Superior Court Judges: Merit and Nonpartisan Elections

For Superior Court judges, the selection process depends on the county’s population:

• In counties with over 250,000 people, judges are also appointed through the merit-based process and face retention elections every four years.

• Judges are elected in nonpartisan races in counties with fewer than 250,000 people and serve four-year terms.

Limited Jurisdiction Courts: Partisan and Local Selection

The process for limited jurisdiction courts varies

• Justice of the Peace judges are chosen in partisan elections and serve four-year terms.

• Municipal Court judges are typically appointed by local governing bodies, except in Yuma County, where they are elected.

Retention Elections: Ensuring Accountability

Judges appointed through merit selection must regularly stand for retention elections, allowing voters to decide whether a judge should continue serving. The timing of these elections depends on the court:

• Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges face retention every six years.

• Superior Court judges in larger counties face retention every four years.

Judicial Performance Review: Informed Voting

A critical part of the retention process is the Judicial Performance Review (JPR). Conducted by the Commission on Judicial Performance Review, the JPR gathers feedback from various sources, including:

• Jurors, lawyers, litigants, and court staff.

• Self-evaluations from the judges themselves.

The JPR evaluates judges on several key criteria, including:

• Legal ability.

• Integrity.

• Communication skills.

• Temperament

• Administrative performance.

The results of these reviews are made available to the public through a booklet distributed to voters before retention elections. 2024_AZGeneralElection_PublicityPamphlet_E.pdfThis ensures that voters can make informed decisions about whether a judge is meeting performance standards.

Public Involvement and Accountability

Voters play a crucial role in maintaining the quality of Arizona’s judiciary through retention elections.  Review the evaluations provided by the JPR Commission to make an informed decision. These evaluations offer insights based on the feedback of those who interact with the courts, helping voters determine if a judge should be retained.

In addition to voting, citizens can get involved in the judicial selection process by serving on the bipartisan nominating commissions that vet judicial candidates. These commissions include both lawyers and non-lawyers. Public comment periods also allow citizens to submit feedback on judges before retention elections.

For more information:

2024 Judicial Performance Reports

Arizona Judicial Performance Review https://www.azcourts.gov/jpr/

LWVAZ  LITIGATION UPDATE

ARIZONA FREE ENTERPRISE CLUB v. FONTES

On February 9, 2024, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) filed a state court lawsuit in the Maricopa County Superior Court. Among other claims, the plaintiff alleged that the 2023 Elections Procedural Manual (EPM) limits free speech because it allows local election officials to prevent outside groups or individuals from observing drop boxes and polling locations in ways that might intimidate or harass voters or election workers.

On March 22, 2024, the League of Women Voters of Arizona, Protect Democracy, and the Campaign Legal Center filed an amicus brief defending the EPM. The brief argued that the case was not ripe for adjudication due to the lack of facts showing a dispute that could be resolved by the court.

On June 9, 2024, League of Women Voters of Arizona, Protect Democracy, and the Campaign Legal Center filed a second amicus brief supporting the Secretary of State’s motion to dismiss. The League asserted that AFEC had no standing to bring the lawsuit and that the voter intimidation provisions at issue accurately summarized federal and state law and were appropriate to include. Finally, LWV Arizona asserted that the right to free speech did not include the right to commit voter intimidation.

On Sept. 27, the Arizona Court of Appeals partially granted the stay of the trial court’s decision. Some of the previously blocked provisions of the EPM are now reinstated.

MI FAMILIA VOTA v. FONTES

In Mi Familia Vota v. Fontes, civil rights groups challenged Arizona’s House Bill 2492, a 2022 law that, among other things, would bar Arizonians who register to vote without documentary proof of citizenship (e.g., a birth certificate or U.S. passport) from voting for president in any federal election. In defense of the law, the Republican National Committee and Arizona legislators advanced a baseless theory that under the Constitution’s Elections Clause, Congress does not have the authority to regulate presidential elections, so the state legislature is free to require documentary proof of citizenship for Arizonans voting for president. 

On August 19, 2024, the League of Women Voters of the United States, League of Women Voters of Arizona, Secure Families Initiative, and Modern Military Association of America filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit in support of the plaintiffs that refutes the claim that Congress lacks authority over presidential elections. 

GINA SWOBODA, et al., v. KATIE HOBBS

This lawsuit was filed by the chair of the Arizona Republican Party, Gina Swoboda, and two voters against Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs challenging Hobbs’ authority to sign two executive orders expanding voter registration and ballot drop-off locations to various state agencies. The plaintiffs alleged that under current state law, only local officials have the authority to decide where voters can register to vote or drop off their ballots. They argued that Hobbs acted outside of her executive authority violating the state constitution. They asked the Arizona Supreme Court to find these executive orders unconstitutional and block Hobbs and the state agencies from taking any further action to expand voter registration and ballot drop-off sites.

The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit on Aug. 21, 2024. Hobbs responded on Aug. 30, 2024. On Sept. 6, 2024, the League of Women Voters of Arizona filed an amicus brief in opposition to the petition for Special Action and in support of Respondent Governor Katie Hobbs.