From Ballotpedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Public Policy Logo-one line.png in Arizona

  • Fiscal
    • Budgets
      • Arizona state budget and finances
      • Tax policy in Arizona
    • Finance
      • Financial regulation in Arizona
    • Pensions
      • Public pensions in Arizona
      • Pension health in Arizona
  • Civil liberties
    • Affirmative action in Arizona
    • Campaign finance requirements in Arizona
    • Campaign finance requirements for Arizona ballot measures
    • Nonprofit regulation in Arizona
  • Education
    • Charter schools in Arizona
    • Higher education in Arizona
    • Public education in Arizona
    • School choice in Arizona
  • Elections
    • Ballot access
      • Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arizona
      • Ballot access requirements for political parties in Arizona
      • Political parties in Arizona
      • Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Arizona
    • Redistricting in Arizona
    • Voting in Arizona
  • Energy and Environment
    • Energy policy in Arizona
    • Fracking in Arizona
    • Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Arizona
    • Endangered species in Arizona
    • Environmental policy in Arizona
  • Healthcare
    • Healthcare policy in Arizona
    • Medicaid spending in Arizona
    • Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Arizona
  • Immigration
    • Immigration in Arizona

Election Policy Logo.png

Ballot access for major and minor party candidates
Ballot access for presidential candidates
List of political parties in the United States
Ballotpedia's election legislation tracker
Public Policy Logo-one line.png

Note: For more information on running for office or forming a political party, contact your state election agency.

Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • As of September 2022, Arizona officially recognized three political parties: the Democratic, Libertarian, and Republican parties.

  • In some states, a candidate may choose to have a label other than that of an officially recognized party appear alongside his or her name on the ballot. Such labels are called political party designations. Arizona allows candidates to use political party designations.

    • To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arizona, see this article.

    DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws

    Process for a political party to obtain ballot status

    DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 16, Chapter 5 of the Arizona Revised Statutes

    Qualifying for ballot access

    To establish a recognized political party in Arizona, the group wishing to qualify as a party must file a petition with the Arizona Secretary of State. This petition must contain signatures from registered voters equal to at least 1.33 percent of the total votes cast for governor at the last general election.[1] [2]

    In order to gain statewide recognition, signatures must come from at least five counties. In addition, at least 10 percent of the total number of signatures must come from registered voters in counties with populations of less than 500,000 people.[1]

    This petition must be filed 180 days before the primary election. If the secretary of state determines that the party has submitted enough valid signatures, the party will be recognized. Once recognized, the party will be represented by its own ballot in the next regularly scheduled primary election and accorded its own column on the general election ballot.<[3]

    Maintaining ballot access

    Once recognized, a new political party will be qualified through the next two regularly scheduled general elections. After those two elections, the party will no longer be recognized unless it qualifies for continued recognition or files a new petition for recognition. To qualify for continued recognition, the party's candidate for governor must receive at least 5 percent of the votes cast in the gubernatorial election. Alternatively, 0.66 percent of all registered voters in the state must have affiliated with the party by October 1 in the year preceding the general election.[1]

    Convention requirements

    The state committee of a political party must meet no later than the fourth Saturday in January following a general election. At this meeting, a chairman, secretary, and treasurer must be elected from the party's membership. The current chairman of the state committee must notify all state committee members of the time and place of the meeting at least 10 days before the meeting will be held.[4]

    Political parties

    See also: List of political parties in the United States

    As of September 2022, Arizona officially recognized three political parties. These are listed in the table below. In order to be recognized by the state, a political party must fulfill certain requirements, which are detailed here.[5]

    Party Website link By-laws/platform link
    Democratic Party of Arizona Link Party platform
    Libertarian Party of Arizona Link Party platform
    Republican Party of Arizona Link Party by-laws

    Historical events

    2014

    On May 16, 2014, federal judge Neil Wake upheld the state's petition deadline for newly-qualifying political parties. In his opinion in Arizona Green Party v. Bennett, Wake held that the deadline as established was necessary in order to allow the state sufficient time to prepare for the qualifying party's primary election.[6]

    Some opponents pointed to the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Anderson v. Celebrezze, which held that Ohio's early filing deadline for independent presidential candidates violated the voting and associational rights of the candidates' supporters.[6]

    2013

    In June 2013, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed HB 2305 into law. The law, among other changes, increased petition signature requirements for minor party candidates. Opponents successfully referred the bill to voters in a veto referendum for the November 4, 2014, general election ballot. In January 2014, the Arizona House Judiciary Committee approved a bill to repeal the law.[7] On February 10, 2014, this new bill passed the Arizona House Rules Committee, and the Arizona State Senate Judiciary Committee approved an identical bill.[8] [9] The Arizona House of Representatives passed the bill on February 13, 2014, and the Arizona State Senate passed it on February 20, 2014. It was signed into law by Brewer on February 27, 2014, officially repealing HB 2305.[10] [11] [12]

    See also

    Influencer Project Badge.png

    • Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arizona
    • Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Arizona
    • List of political parties in the United States
    • Democratic Party of Arizona
    • Republican Party of Arizona

    External links

    • Arizona Democratic Party
    • Arizona Republican Party

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 5, Section 801," accessed March 17, 2014
    2. ↑ Arizona Secretary of State Website, "2014 Election Important Dates," accessed November 4, 2013
    3. ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 5, Section 803," accessed March 17, 2014
    4. ↑ Arizona Revised Statutes, "Title 16, Chapter 5, Section 826," accessed March 17, 2014
    5. ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Information about Recognized Political Parties," accessed September 14, 2022
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ballot Access News, "U.S. District Court Judge Upholds Arizona's February Petition Deadline for Newly-Qualifying Parties," May 16, 2014
    7. ↑ AZCentral.com, "Arizona House Judiciary Committee votes to repeal controversial election bill," January 30, 2014
    8. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Arizona Bill that Repeals Ballot Access Restriction Moves Ahead," February 11, 2014
    9. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Repeal of Arizona 2013 Ballot Access Restriction Moves Closer," February 12, 2014
    10. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Arizona House Repeals 2013 Ballot Access Restriction," February 14, 2014
    11. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Arizona Legislature Repeals 2013 Ballot Access Restriction," February 21, 2014
    12. ↑ Ballot Access News, "Arizona Governor Signs Bill that Repeals Ballot Access Restriction," February 27, 2014
    Flag of Arizona

    v•e

    State of Arizona
    Phoenix (capital)
    Elections

    What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2022 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

    Government

    Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

    v•e

    Ballotpedia
    About

    Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

    Executive: Leslie Graves, President • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy

    Communications: Alison Graves • Abigail Campbell • Sarah Groat • Lauren Nemerovski
    External Relations: Alison Prange • Moira Delaney • Hannah Nelson
    Operations: Meghann Olshefski • Mandy Morris• Kelly Rindfleisch
    Policy: Christopher Nelson • Caitlin Styrsky • Molly Byrne • Katharine Frey • Jimmy McAllister • Samuel Postell
    Research: Josh Altic, Managing Editor
    Tech: Matt Latourelle • Nathan Bingham • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Joseph Sanchez

    Contributors: Scott Rasmussen
    Editorial

    Geoff Pallay, Editor-in-Chief • Daniel Anderson, Managing Editor • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor • Cory Eucalitto, Managing Editor • Mandy Gillip, Managing Editor • Jerrick Adams • Victoria Antram • Dave Beaudoin • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Kate Carsella • Kelly Coyle • Megan Feeney • Nicole Fisher • Juan García de Paredes • Sara Horton • Tyler King • Doug Kronaizl • Amee LaTour • David Luchs • Roneka Matheny • Andrew McNair • Jackie Mitchell • Elisabeth Moore • Ellen Morrissey • Mackenzie Murphy • Samantha Post • Paul Rader • Ethan Rice • Myj Saintyl • Maddie Sinclair Johnson • Abbey Smith • Janie Valentine • Caitlin Vanden Boom • Joel Williams • Samuel Wonacott • Mercedes Yanora