On Election Day, Prop. 105 still puzzles

The Zonie Report, Nov. 4, 2008

PHOENIX — Propositions can be confusing and frustrating. Ballot language can seem completely foreign. And the messages of one-sided commercials can sway a viewer back and forth.

“Propositions are sometimes worded tricky,” says Ashley Paul, a 23 year-old native of Washington state who is a student at Arizona State University.

Paul discusses Arizona’s propositions with her roommate usually a couple of hours per week to help her toss ideas and thoughts around before voting time comes.

“I think it’s a supplement for her as an Arizona resident,” says Paul, who is registered to vote in Washington but has lived in Arizona off-and-on for five years.

A proposition that seems to be particularly confusing is Proposition 105, sponsored by Majority Rules – Let the People Decide. The group is supported by a large fast-food franchisee and the food-and-beverage industry, which some experts say is fearful of voters passing a future tax on alcohol.

“I was definitely confused (by the advertisements),” says ASU student Yousef Hawash, 19. “The ads don’t make as much sense as they should.”

Proposition 105 addresses the significance or value of a registered voter whether that right to vote is exercised or not. The actual text of this proposition says that for any initiative that increases taxes, fees or involves government spending, “shall not become law unless the measure is approved by a majority of qualified electors then registered to vote in this state,” according to language posted on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website.

In other words, a bill that involves finances – and nearly every bill could be construed to do so – would require a majority of all registered voters in Arizona, whether they participated or not. That’s a huge departure from the current requirement of a simple majority of participating voters.

Those opposed to the bill say that this would make it nearly impossible for a piece of legislation that requests money to pass because all of those who stay home will be counted as a no vote, according to the blog by Judy Hedding, an About.com Guide to Phoenix and Arizona resident since 1979.

“If you’re not voting then you don’t care enough…” says Shawnnah Chaney, 20, of Phoenix. “For their unwillingness (to learn about the propositions and vote) to count as a no…t doesn’t make any sense.”

Chaney says that she normally doesn’t spend any time learning about the issues and propositions and therefore it didn’t matter. However, she recently changed her registration from an Independent to a Democrat because she wants to spend more time learning about them so that she can vote in the future primaries.

“Some people who decide not to vote aren’t educated on the issues, so it doesn’t make sense to count their vote as anything,” Chaney says.

Those who are in favor of the proposition, according to Hedding’s blog, say that it would remove the ability for “special interests” to use ballot initiatives to raise taxes or increase spending and would limit the stretching of Arizona’s budget to fund so many special projects.

Of the 1,961 people who have visited Hedding’s blog and have cast their “vote” on her site, as of this morning, only 41 percent clicked “yes,” in favor of the proposition. However, one must note that there is no log-in process to keep the same blog viewers from voting multiple times.

“People are unpredictable,” Paul says. “It’s really hard to predict whether people will be likely to vote if their vote counts no matter what. People can say one thing and do another.”