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.
