As of Thursday at 7 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, with 89% of the expected vote reporting, 53% of the electorate had voted against Proposition 144, according to Votebeat reporting.
Defeat for Sweeping Election Rule Changes
Arizonans have firmly rejected a high-profile ballot measure designed to overhaul the state’s voting procedures, dealing a decisive defeat to sweeping election rule changes pushed by the GOP-dominated state legislature. Another 47% had voted in favor of the measure, which stood among the most contentious items facing voters on Tuesday.
Mail-In Voting and Constitutional Powers
Referred to the ballot in an eleventh-hour vote earlier this year, Prop. 144 would have amended the state constitution to mandate ID requirements for all voters, including those casting ballots by mail, while leaving implementation details to lawmakers. It also would have required counties to give voters dropping off mail-in ballots at a polling place on Election Day the option to have those ballots counted on site rather than transported to a central tabulation facility, necessitating new equipment across most jurisdictions.
Security Claims Meet Pushback
Supporters argued the changes would enhance election security and accelerate vote counting. Opponents, including many local election officials, countered that those promises were unrealistic given how narrowly contested recent Arizona elections have been.
Criticism of Legislative Authority
Instead, critics claimed the measure aimed to hobble mail-in voting, which remains exceptionally popular across the state. Some also warned that broad language within the proposal could grant the legislature sweeping authority over election laws independent of both the governor and the judiciary.
Measure Would Ban Noncitizen Contributions and Lower Court Standards
The measure also would have prohibited noncitizens from contributing money to influence ballot measure contests, closing a loophole in existing campaign finance laws. It also proposed a lower standard of review for state courts evaluating future election laws' burdens on voters.
Reactions from Opponents and Backers
In a statement declaring victory on Tuesday before the race was called, opponents argued that voters had successfully steered the state away from a disastrous outcome.
Randy Keating, who chaired the committee opposing the measure, called the result one of the greatest political longshot victories in Arizona history. Keating added that the outcome served as a loud and unmistakable message that limiting how and where eligible voters can cast their ballot, in a blatant attempt to manipulate outcomes, will not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, Arizona Rep. Alex Kolodin, the Republican nominee for secretary of state and the measure’s primary legislative backer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its defeat. Kolodin also lost his race on Tuesday.
