Background
The state of Arizona uses semi-closed partisan primaries, where voters registered with political parties choose their party's candidates for a general election, and independents can participate in one party's primaries. [1] [a] Arizona voters elect two candidates per district to the Arizona House of Representatives, and one to the Arizona Senate. [2]
General elections use a plurality voting system; the candidate – or candidates, for the state house – who receives the highest number of votes is elected to the office. [3]
Effect
Under Proposition 140, partisan primaries would have been replaced with a single ballot, with a certain number of candidates advancing to the general election. [3] The state legislature would have needed to pass a bill to determine the specific number of candidates that would have advanced from primaries to general elections. [3] [1]
Candidates in general elections would have needed a majority of the votes to win. [1] If the state legislature opted for a top-two primary system, where two candidates advance to the general election, one candidate would inherently win more than half the votes. If the legislature opted for a top-three, top-four, or top-five primary, where multiple candidates advance to the general election, ranked-choice voting would be used to eliminate candidates until one achieves a majority. [4]
Additionally, Proposition 140 would have amended the state constitution to prohibit denying a citizens rights to vote, hold office, or vote for candidates based on their political affiliation. It would have also banned the use of public funds to administer partisan primaries. [3]
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