Arizona voters will get the chance to weigh in on a ranked-choice voting (RCV) proposal this November after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that votes for the measure will count, despite concerns over the validity of signatures gathered in support of the initiative.
Proposition 140 aims to change Arizona’s election system by introducing an open primary and ranked-choice voting. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with votes for the lowest-ranked candidate being reallocated until one reaches a majority. Critics argue that the system confuses voters and leads to higher rates of invalidated ballots.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AZFEC) challenged the measure after discovering nearly 38,000 duplicate signatures among those gathered to support the initiative. However, a lower court ruled that the issue was moot since ballots had already been printed, a decision the state’s Supreme Court upheld.
Conservatives have raised concerns about the precedent set by the ruling. Scot Mussi, president of AZFEC, expressed disappointment, accusing the measure’s supporters of intentionally delaying the review of the duplicate signatures to ensure Prop 140 remained on the ballot.
Merissa Hamilton, chair of the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona, also criticized the decision, saying it allows groups to “fraud their way onto the ballot.” Hamilton and other election integrity advocates worry that ranked-choice voting could undermine voter confidence in the system.
The Arizona Supreme Court is expected to release an official explanation of its ruling soon, but for now, Prop 140 will be on the ballot.