A group pushing a ballot measure to create open primaries in Arizona has survived the latest in a series of challenges to try to keep it off the November ballot.
Make Elections Fair AZ is pushing a measure labeled Prop. 140 that would allow open Arizona primaries. Voters would be able to select a candidate of their choosing, regardless of party affiliation.
The measure would also allow for ranked choice general elections.
The effort is opposed by both Democratic and Republican interests.
A handful of voters represented by Democratic attorney Roy Herrera filed a legal challenge alleging supporters didn’t gather enough legitimate signatures to make it onto the ballot.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge found Thursday that the group did in fact qualify.
The campaign gathered nearly 560,000 signatures to put the proposal on the ballot. They needed roughly 384,000 signatures to qualify under state law.
The Secretary of State’s Office certified the decision on Monday.
Earlier this month, Make Elections Fair AZ survived a separate challenge filed by both Democratic and Republican interests arguing the measure shouldn’t be allowed on the ballot because it affects too many areas of the law.
Make Elections Fair AZ also filed a lawsuit of their own against state lawmakers’ description of their measure, which will appear in a voter information pamphlet. A judge ruled in the group’s favor that the description of the measure was misleading and must change.
