Arizona campaign submits 421,451 signatures for initiative to limit Empowerment Scholarship Account eligibility and spending

In Arizona, the Protect Education, Accountability Now campaign submitted 421,451 signatures to the Arizona secretary of state on July 2 for its initiative. It was the only campaign among the six initiatives filed for the November 2026 election to submit signatures for review. Of the six initiatives, two were initiated constitutional amendments, and four were initiated state statutes.

In Arizona, the number of required signatures is based on the number of votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. To place a state statute on the ballot, supporters must submit a number of signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast for governor. For 2026, that amounts to 255,949 valid signatures. To place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, supporters must submit a number of signatures equal to 15% of the votes cast for governor. For 2026, that amounts to 383,923 valid signatures.

The measure, an initiated state statute, would amend Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program. It would limit eligibility for the program to families earning less than $150,000 per year, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, with the threshold adjusted by 2% annually. Under the initiative, families would not be able to use ESAs to purchase luxury items, including out-of-state travel, dining, amusement park tickets, home appliances, or home improvements. The initiative would prohibit paying family members from ESAs, except for students with disabilities.

The Arizona Education Association and Save Our Schools Arizona have endorsed the initiative. Nicky Indicavitch, statewide outreach director for Save Our Schools Arizona, said, “[The initiative is] going to give taxpayers in Arizona some peace of mind that the dollars we send to educate young people in the state of Arizona don’t get spent on things that are wildly inappropriate. You know we’ve all seen the reports recently about diamond rings, gift cards, expensive trips, [and] lingerie.”

Ed Choice and State Rep. Steve Montenegro (R-29) opposed the initiative. Montenegro said the initiative, “is a direct attack on parents — working families, military families, rural families, and families of children with special needs — who finally have options and refuse to give them up. ESA opponents are willing to sacrifice students’ futures to protect an education bureaucracy that puts its own power ahead of kids.”

Conflicting measures on the 2026 ballot

If the secretary of state determines that the campaign submitted enough valid signatures, the initiative will conflict with another measure on the November 2026 ballot. The Arizona State Legislature placed a constitutional amendment on the ballot on June 13, 2026. The amendment would prohibit the state from confiscating money from the scholarship account of a student in a military family if the scholarship account is maintained by a program for which military family students are eligible, and the account can be used to pay for postsecondary education. Additionally, it would provide that any law enacted or measure approved by voters on or after November 1, 2026, that violates the amendment would be entirely void and could not be severed by a court. This would include the initiative proposed by Protect Education, Accountability Now. In Arizona, if two conflicting measures are approved by voters, the one that receives the most votes is ratified as law.

Initiated measures without submitted signatures

Of the six initiatives filed in Arizona for the 2026 ballot, five did not submit signatures by the July 2 deadline.

Require Online Payment Marketplace System for Empowerment Scholarship Account Purchases Initiative

The initiative, backed by Fortify AZ, would also have amended the Empowerment Scholarship Account program. On June 16, 2026, Fortify AZ announced it would no longer pursue placing the initiative on the ballot. The campaign did not submit signatures to the secretary of state.

The measure would have required the Arizona Department of Education to establish an online payment marketplace system through which all Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) purchases must be made. It would also have required students who are not enrolled full-time at a qualified school to take an approved examination.

Create a Constitutional Right to Early and Mail-in Voting Amendment

Protect the Vote Arizona, the campaign supporting a constitutional amendment to establish a right to early voting and voting by mail, did not submit signatures. On July 1, campaign organizer Stacy Pearson announced that the group had decided not to submit the approximately 439,000 signatures it had collected. Pearson said, “Facing an impossible 88 percent validity requirement, the campaign made a strategic decision to not turn over the signatures of hundreds of mail-in voting supporters to the very election-denying politicians (i.e. Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap) that this measure was designed to protect against.”

Repeal Marijuana Legalization Initiative

American Encore was leading the campaign in support of an initiative that would have repealed the majority of laws and regulations enacted by Proposition 207 in 2020, which legalized the possession and use of marijuana for recreational purposes. On April 29, 2026, American Encore submitted a superseding version of the initiative. The new version would maintain the status quo of marijuana legalization and would not change any state laws. As such, the initiative was effectively withdrawn from consideration with the Arizona secretary of state. The campaign did not submit signatures in support of any version of the initiative.

Limit Compensation for Healthcare Executives Initiative

The initiative would have limited the compensation of executives and managers at hospitals and other healthcare facilities to 15 times the annual earnings of a full-time employee working 2,080 hours at the state minimum wage. Compensation would have included salaries, bonuses, and most employment benefits.

Prohibit Conservators From Receiving Compensation From Restricted Persons' Estates Amendment

The amendment would have prohibited conservators—including guardians, personal representatives, court-appointed counsel, legal representatives, and private conservators—from receiving compensation from the estates of people whose rights had been restricted by the State of Arizona or its courts.

Other measures on the Arizona ballot in 2026

The state legislature already placed 10 measures on the 2026 ballot for Arizona voters to decide.