Prop 140 Incinerated in Arizona as Ranked-Choice Voting Fails Nationwide

By Daniel Stefanski |

Arizona voters decisively rejected Proposition 140 during Tuesday’s election, which aimed to implement a mixed system of Ranked Choice Voting and jungle primaries. Almost 60% of voters opposed the measure, according to results released Wednesday.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould, leaders of the No on Prop 140 Committee, expressed gratitude towards Arizonans for resisting what they termed a “radical transformation” of the state’s electoral system. “Voters of all political persuasions wisely concluded that Prop 140 would do irreparable harm to our state,” they stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining free, fair, and transparent elections.

Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, heralded the vote as a significant triumph against what he described as “one of the worst ideas” to emerge in Arizona’s political landscape. He criticized the proponents of the measure, alleging that they were backed by “radical leftists” and out-of-state billionaires who sought to mislead voters. “Millions of Arizonans did their homework and said ‘hell no’,” Mussi asserted, comparing the state’s electoral integrity to California’s policies.

Meanwhile, the organization behind Proposition 140, Make Elections Fair Arizona, had not released any statements as of Wednesday. Their social media promised an election day update, but no further information was available.

In addition to Arizona’s results, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club noted that similar Ranked Choice Voting measures were also defeated in several other states during the election. The outcomes include:

• Colorado: Proposition 131 defeated at almost 55%
• Idaho: Proposition 1 defeated at nearly 70%
• Montana: Both CI-126 and CI-127 defeated
• Oregon: Measure 117 defeated near 60%
• South Dakota: Amendment H defeated with over 65%
• Nevada: Question 3 defeated at almost 54%
• Alaska: Measure 2 appears to have passed, repealing its ranked choice voting system

For Arizona, the rejection of Proposition 140 underscores a collective sentiment toward traditional election systems, reinforcing the state’s stance on electoral integrity.