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A: Proposition 105, the so-called "Majority Rules" initiative, is a misleading proposed amendment to the Arizona State Constitution. If passed, it would require that nearly every initiative placed on the ballot by citizens receive the support of a majority of all registered voters, not just those who cast a vote. Under Prop 105, non-voters would automatically be given a No vote that would be counted in the final vote tally. And that's wrong.
It's wrong to count the ballots of those who don't vote.
Visit http://thevotersofaz.com/ for more information.
A: No. Voters addressed this issue in 2004. They amended the Arizona Constitution to read that any new expenditures imposed by a referendum or initiative also must generate the funds to pay for those expenditures. Furthermore, the amendment states that funding needed due to voter passed initiatives cannot come from the general fund and if the new source of revenue that the initiative proposed is not generating enough funds, the legislature may reduce expenditures accordingly.
Voters already addressed this issue and it is in the Arizona Constitution--see Article 9, Section 23. Due to that amendment, voters cannot pass any initiative without a source of revenue being part of the same package.
Prop 105 is not about taxes, spending, or fiscal responsibility. It is about voting rights.
A: Had Prop 105 already been in place, a number of initiatives that passed overwhelmingly would not have become law, including measures that impact education, public safety, the environment, children, economic development, and public health. All of these initiatives would have failed because those who didn't vote would have been counted as automatic No votes.
A: Prop 105 encourages voter apathy. Prop 105 takes away the voice of voters on matters affecting their lives and the future of our state. It gives a voice to those who don't bother to get off the couch to vote, those who recently moved to another state, or of deceased citizens who remain on the voter rolls.
A: This question captures the essence of the kind of world envisioned by those who wrote Prop 105. You would no longer need a ballot to be counted as a No vote on initiatives. If your name is on the rolls and you don't vote yes, you are an automatic No vote under Prop 105's rules. The process to purge voters who have moved is slow and long. In this election cycle there are nearly 500,000 inactive voters on the rolls - most of them have moved, though it is hard to say whether they are in the state or out of the state.
Prop 105 applies to people who have moved out of Arizona, those that have died but are still on the rolls, those that don't vote by choice, and even people who have voted, but skipped some initiatives because they didn't understand them. Prop 105 is an insidious and deceptive amendment to our constitution.
A: Prop 105 states that citizen initiatives must have support from a majority of qualified electors in Arizona--that's ALL registered voters. So Prop 105 means that even if you choose not to vote, you will be counted as a NO vote. This is NOT a true majority. A true majority is counting votes that are cast, not those that aren't. Prop 105 is misleading and wrong.
A: It is wrong because it counts those who don't bother to vote or simply can't vote, and assumes that they are all NO votes on citizen initiatives.
It is wrong because those registered voters who don't bother to get off their couch to vote are counted as automatic NO votes.
It is wrong because it counts the recently deceased and those who have recently moved out of state but remain on the voter rolls as voters, and also chooses their votes for them - counting them all as NO votes.
A: Your vote will be counted as a No vote, even if you deliberately leave that section (about the initiative) blank.
A: It is difficult to keep the voter rolls up to date. For that reason it is estimated that the rolls contain the names of hundreds of thousands of people who are no longer living, or who have moved to other states. Prop 105 demands that all dead voters who are still on the rolls be counted as automatic No votes on initiatives. That is wrong.
A: Prop 105 kills the initiative process in Arizona, which is the real goal of its backers. Going back to 1974, not a single initiative that was passed by voters since would have passed under Prop 105 wording. Looking at citizen initiatives that were passed by voters over the last decade, it would have required more than 80% of people who cast a ballot to vote Yes in order to pass those measures. That is an unreasonably high bar to set. Prop 105 silences the voice of Arizona voters at the grassroots level of government.
A: Prop 105 states that "to protect the will of the people of Arizona for fiscal responsibility through true majority rule, any initiative that imposes additional taxes or spending must have support from a majority of qualified electors in Arizona." A "majority of qualified electors" sounds nice, but in reality it means ALL REGISTERED VOTERS.
The wording is misleading in that the proponents want people who don't vote to have a say in the outcome of an election. This is NOT the way a true majority is determined. This is not the American way. A true majority is reached by counting votes that are cast, not those
that are not.
A: A wide variety of organizations have come together to oppose Prop 105, which include Chambers of Commerce, teachers and educational organizations, the firefighters and police associations, healthcare organizations, and community and neighborhood leaders as well as elected officials on the state, county, and local levels who all want to protect your right to vote. And the list of opponents is growing every day.
A: Special interest groups led by tobacco and liquor interests are the biggest proponents of Prop 105.
A: As with the United States Constitution, there are ways to amend or change Arizona's constitution. The purpose of our state constitution is to protect the fundamental rights of our citizens. This unfair proposed constitutional amendment will take power away from those who exercise their right to vote and give it to those who do not vote. Arizona's Constitution should not be used to diminish your right to vote. That's unfair, wrong and un-American.
A: Prop 105 is not about taxes. It is about voting and the voting process.
A: No. It is wrong to take away the rights of those who vote. To offer Prop 105 as a solution to budget deficits is extremely misleading. Despite what they say, the goal of its backers is to kill the citizen initiative process in Arizona.
A: No. Prop 105 does not address out-of-state or in-state special interest groups. Its only purpose is to adversely change the act of voting on initiatives and make elections unfair in Arizona.
