The Problem
Independent and unaffiliated voters are now the fastest-growing voter bloc in the state, yet Independent voters are not treated fairly in the primary and there are very few independent elected officials.
Our Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal.” It is a fundamental American value that not every Arizonan is afforded.
Taxpayers on the hook for party-controlled primary elections
We should not be using taxpayer funds to pay for private party-controlled primary elections. Using public funding for partisan elections is problematic because Independent and unaffiliated taxpayers are not granted the same privilege to participate in the primary elections.
Independent voters are treated unfairly
Independent candidates are treated unfairly
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All taxpayers contribute to funding primary elections but Independent/unaffiliated voters must take an extra step to participate.
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Independent/unaffiliated voters are required to compromise their principle of non-affiliation and must select a party ballot to participate in the primary election.
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Independent voters lack resources that historically support voter turnout, leaving many of these voters unaware of their eligibility to participate in primaries. Only about 10% of unaffiliated voters choose a partisan ballot.
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Independent/unaffiliated candidates must collect up to 6 times the number of signatures compared to partisan candidates.
IND/Other Signature Requirement: 43,492
Republican: 7,378
Democratic: 7,035
Libertarian: 3,715
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Independent/unaffiliated candidates do not appear on the primary ballot.
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Must pay for costly voter history lists that recognized political parties are provided for free.
Our system lacks competition
Every industry has welcomed innovation and improvements as a result of competition… except one. The absence of competition has led to a limited range of choices for voters, often perpetuating the status quo and stifling innovative approaches to improving our state.
It's time for a new, fair, and competitive system that serves the interests of the people, not just a select few.
Small minorities determine BIG outcomes
A small minority of voters choose the vast majority of candidates. Most candidate elections in Arizona are determined in the Primary Election where only 23% of registered adults voted in August of 2022.
What Arizonans want vs.
what we get
There's a fundamental disconnect between what Arizonans want vs. what we actually get under our current system. Center for the Future of Arizona shared findings of a survey of likely voters. Findings showed Arizonans are more united than divided about the most important issues facing our state— largely agreeing on what they'd like to see from leaders to achieve the Arizona they want.
CFA Survey Findings
Our current political system is a bad business model.
If you were hired for a job with well-defined expectations but failed to fulfill your responsibilities, would you anticipate keeping said job? So, why do Arizona's elected officials, individuals chosen by voters to perform the essential work crucial to our state's success, appear to adhere to a different set of rules?
If a business were causing as much dissatisfaction among customers as our political industry, and delivering the same level of disappointment as our politicians are to their constituents, one would expect new competitors to enter the market, offering better options and giving customers what they desire — ultimately losing customers.
So why are elected officials operating under a different set of rules?
