A Program of the Arizona Independent Voter’s Network (AIVN)
How can Independent Voters have the greatest impact?
- First, by staying informed.
- Second, by changing Arizona’s partisan election laws.
Although we saw the defeat of Proposition 140, the “Make Elections Fair Arizona” initiative to do away with our current partisan primary system, we have heard rumblings that the fight is not over. Today, more Arizona voters are registered as “no party preferred” than for either major party. They are joined by some registered Democrats and Republicans who chose to vote independently regardless of their party affiliation.
A mountain of valuable information is available on the key websites listed below in the “Key Organizations” table. AIVN will highlight evolving information and seek to tie related information together so that each voter in our Network—we call ourselves Networkers—can keep track of important issues and events with reasonable ease.
We applaud the work of outstanding citizen organizations like Save Democracy Arizona and Voter Choice Arizona and believe they will serve all Arizonans well when they succeed.
Our priority for 2025:
1. Share information about the issues that matter to Independent Voters including about credible Independent and independent thinking candidates for state office.
Why is AIVN building a network of Independent Arizona Voters committed to equal rights for all voters and candidates? Three reasons:
- America—and Arizona—desperately need problem solving leaders.
- Independent voters can help elect them, especially if voting obstacles are removed.
- We can start to make a difference now.
How do we build the Network of informed Independent Voters?
AIVN is a 501(h) nonprofit organization; we are not a Political Action Committee (PAC) nor a campaign organization for candidates or initiatives. We won’t ever tell you how to vote. We believe that we are all co-owners of our State and Federal Constitutions. We have seen a pattern of partisan control and a move away from accountability and representative government. We have seen proof that as few as 280 votes can make a difference. What we offer is:
- Concise, honest voter information.
- Focus on the strongest opportunities to make our election processes fair and representative.
- A forum for collaboration by Networkers with minimal organizational overhead.
- Clear distinction between opinion and nonpartisan information empowering Independent Voters; and
- A place for you to participate and contribute as an AIVN Networker where you control your time commitment.
Why does this matter so much?
A crucial reality is that Arizona, as a key “swing state” on the National stage, has an unusually robust and well organized array of leaders who seek to improve governance in our State by serving the voting public with outstanding information and relentless attention to improved voting rights. Beneficiaries include, but are certainly not limited to, Independent Voters. AIVN is grateful for this confluence of serious leaders attending to the needs of our State as we confront unprecedented discord roiling our democratic republic.
You can’t understand the ballgame if you don’t know the players. Here they are in alphabetical order. They all play critical roles. Along with innumerable other purely informational sources, these voices are the ones we will tune into most often. It is critical to understand this constellation of organizations, in part because AIVN seeks to build upon, not duplicate, the positive endeavors reflected in the following “Organizations” Table.
Key Organizations Influencing Arizona Election Reform in 2024
Arizona State Legislature
Basic function: Establishes our Arizona laws
azleg.gov
Observations:
Highly divided.
Thin Republican dominance in House and Senate.
Tension with Democratic Governor.
Republican opposition to open primaries and other reforms.
Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy
Basic function: Promotes broad public understanding of and support for increased voting rights in Arizona. Provides quality related research and analysis.
spa.asu.edu
Observations:
Affiliated with Arizona State University.
Already conducting important research.
Leadership shares relevant history from the ASU Morrison Institute and three decades of work with Independent Voting.
Center for the Future of Arizona
Basic function: Promotes a stronger and brighter future for Arizona; conducts research with that focus. Produces “The Arizona We Want” reports.
arizonafuture.org
Observations: Based on recent polling, currently focuses on seven priority policy areas:
- Education
- Economy, Inflation & State Spending
- Water and Environment
- Elections
- Immigration
- Housing Affordability & Homelessness.
Citizens Clean Election Commission
Basic function: Enforces the 1998 Clean Elections Act.
azcleanelections.gov
Observations: A quarter of a century administering and implementing a voter approved initiative aimed at rooting out political corruption and promoting confidence in our political process. Supports relevant research, provides comprehensive voting information for voters, and guidance for candidates.
Independent Voting
Basic function: Promotes voting rights for independent voters nationally, including Arizona.
independentvoting.org
Observations: Offers three decades of experience as a national strategy, communications, and organizing center for Independent Voters. Creates unorthodox coalitions to promote voter rights. Maintains a presence in many states, including Arizona.
Open Primaries
Basic function: Promotes movement to enable all voters to vote in every public election.
openprimaries.org
Observations: Advocates for open, nonpartisan primary election systems. Conducts diverse educational programs. Participates in building coalitions at multiple levels to expand the primary election reform movement. A growing force in the election process reform movement.
Save Democracy Arizona
Basic function: Promotes open primaries and other reforms. Sponsor of the Make Elections Fair AZ initiative.
savedemocracyaz.com
Observations: Involves leaders with a long history of election reform endeavors in Arizona. Now gathering signatures for placement of the Make Elections Fair Arizona Act on the 2024 ballot. The Act would remove existing obstacles for Independent Voters and candidates, plus other changes to reduce party control of elections.
Votebeat Arizona
Basic function: Reports comprehensively on current news specifically related to voter rights and election credibility.
votebeat.org
Observations: Focuses on several key states, including Arizona. Does not take positions on political issues. Aims to keep voters informed on election systems and proposed changes to them so voters can vote with more confidence.
Voter Choice Arizona
Basic function: Educate Arizona voters about equal signature requirements, open primaries, and ranked choice voting as means for better elections and improved governance.
voterchoicearizona.org
Observations: Developed an initiative to open primaries, equalize candidate requirements, and institute ranked choice voting (RCV). Initiative differs from Make Elections Fair initiative mainly in how it treats RCV (embedded in initiative). Recently chose to put initiative effort on hold to focus on opposing the Legislature’s move to make RCV illegal in Arizona.
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