In addition to major statewide races and congressional and legislative contests, the 2026 statewide ballot will feature proposals on taxes, education, election rules, and local government authority.

Lawmakers have already referred 10 measures to the Nov. 3 general election ballot. A citizen-led proposal, the Protect Education Act, could become the 11th statewide question if it clears the state’s signature-verification process. The initiative is listed by the Arizona Legislative Council as

The Arizona Legislative Council for the ballot measures at its Wednesday, July 8 meeting. Those summaries will appear in the publicity pamphlet mailed to voters by the Secretary of State’s Office before early voting begins.

Statewide races

The governor’s race will headline Arizona’s statewide contests, with voters also choosing a lieutenant governor and other statewide officeholders. , squaring off against Republican Andy Biggs who represents the East Valley in Congress.

Other statewide races on the ballot include secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, mine inspector and two Corporation Commission seats.

Voters will also decide on congressional and legislative races.

For the business community, the Corporation Commission races will be closely watched because the commission regulates utilities and energy policy, issues tied to infrastructure, reliability, development, and business costs.

Challenger Ralph Heap finished second in the GOP primary and will appear on the ballot alongside incumbent Republican Kevin Thompson. They’ll face off against Democrats Clara Pratte and Jonathon Hill.

Ballot measures

Ballot measures can reach Arizona voters in two ways. Lawmakers can send proposals directly to the ballot, while citizen-led campaigns must gather enough valid signatures to qualify.

For 2026, the Secretary of State set the statewide initiative filing deadline for July 2. To qualify for the ballot, a statutory initiative needs , while a constitutional amendment requires 383,923.

The measures cover issues ranging from taxes and education to election rules and local government authority. Listed by their Legislative Council titles, they include:

(2025): Prohibit tax; monitoring; vehicle mileage
The proposal would prohibit taxes or fees based on vehicle miles traveled.

: Food; municipal tax; exemption
The measure would prohibit municipal food taxes.

: Drug cartels; terrorist organizations
Voters would decide whether drug cartels should be treated as terrorist organizations under Arizona law.

(2026): Photo enforcement systems; voter approval
The measure would require voter approval for photo enforcement systems.

: Instructional expenses; operational spending; enforcement
The proposal would set spending requirements for school districts’ instructional and operational expenses.

: Citizenship; identification; contributions; early voting
The measure would change election rules related to citizenship, voter identification, campaign contributions and early voting.

: Interscholastic; intramural athletics; biological sex
The proposal would address participation in school athletics based on biological sex.

: School districts; labor organizations; resources
If approved, it would prohibit school districts from using public money or resources to support labor organization operations, including payroll deductions for dues.

: Preferential treatment; discrimination; prohibited acts
The proposal would prohibit certain forms of preferential treatment or discrimination in public employment, education, and contracting.

: Military families; scholarship accounts
The measure would change scholarship account eligibility for military families.

The Protect Education Act would make changes to Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, including income-based eligibility limits for some families beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.

Supporters reported turning in 421,451 signatures by the July 2 deadline, above the 255,949 valid signatures required for a statutory initiative, but the measure has not yet been certified for the ballot as it’s the validity of its submitted signatures are under challenge.

In addition to the signature verification for the Protect Education Act, next steps include the official proposition numbering and publication of ballot language in the Secretary of State’s publicity pamphlet before early voting begins.

Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election begins Oct. 7.

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The U.S. Forest Service earlier this month issued the Final Record of Decision (ROD) for the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project in Southern Arizona’s Patagonia Mountains, completing the federal environmental review required for portions of the project planned on National Forest land. The decision follows several years of environmental study, public input, tribal and interagency consultation. 

Project developer South32 says Hermosa could produce up to five federally designated critical minerals, including zinc, silver, and manganese. The project includes a broader land package with potential for additional polymetallic and copper mineralization, positioning it as a significant domestic source of minerals tied to energy, manufacturing and supply-chain needs. 

The decision paves the way for South32 to fully develop the project beyond its privately held land, including building ancillary infrastructure such as a primary access road, a secondary dry-stack tailings facility, and allowing utility UniSource Energy Services to build a portion of a 138-kV power line on Coronado National Forest land.  

Construction is already halfway complete on private land. It was the first mining project accepted into the federal FAST-41 permitting program, which is reserved for nationally significant infrastructure projects meeting rigorous criteria.  

“From the beginning, we designed Hermosa to be a different kind of mine, and the federal review process helped make it even better,” South32 Hermosa President Pat Risner said. “Years of agency review, Tribal consultation and community engagement strengthened environmental protections, informed project refinements and shaped a project that can transform the local economy. We are grateful to everyone who participated throughout the process and look forward to continuing that engagement as we move from construction and development into operations.” 

The Final ROD also represents an important milestone in the broader national conversation around domestic critical mineral development and permitting reform. Hermosa’s advancement under FAST-41 did not reduce the thoroughness of environmental review or limit public input. Rather, the process helped improve interagency coordination, transparency, and accountability across federal agencies while ensuring the project moved through permitting in a timely and disciplined manner.  

Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app of Commerce & Industry, said the Hermosa project also demonstrates the value of a predictable and transparent permitting process. 

“South32’s Hermosa project represents the kind of investment Arizona needs to strengthen domestic supply chains, support critical minerals production, and create long-term jobs in Santa Cruz County and across the state,” he said. “It’s also a model for how permitting should work. Hermosa has gone through years of environmental review, public input, and interagency consultation, and the project remains on track under the federal permitting schedule. That’s the kind of predictable, transparent process Arizona needs more of if we want to lead in industries critical to our economy and national security.” 

Over the course of the review process, Hermosa underwent extensive federal environmental analysis and consultation including more than 120 days of formal public comment periods, coordination across six federal and state agencies and consultation with 12 Tribes with historic affiliation to the region. 

“If we’re serious about bringing supply chains back to America and reducing our dependence on foreign countries, we need to responsibly produce more critical minerals here at home. This is exactly what the Hermosa project is doing,” said U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). “This milestone shows we can move projects through an efficient permitting process to create good-paying jobs while strengthening our national security.” 

South32 conducted extensive baseline environmental studies and community engagement before permit applications were formally submitted, allowing project alternatives, water management approaches, access roads and mitigation measures to be shaped by stakeholder input early in the process. 

The Final ROD confirms that environmental protections, mitigation commitments, and adaptive management measures are integrated into the approved project. Throughout the review process, South32 refined Hermosa’s design in response to agency feedback, Tribal consultation and community input, including: 

• Redesign of the dry-stack tailings facility to avoid sensitive plant species; 
• Design of a Primary Access Road, necessary for expansion, to also reduce traffic impacts to Patagonia and outdoor recreation areas; 
• Surface and ground water quality and quantity monitoring beyond state level requirements; 
• Wildlife crossings and habitat protections; 
• Cultural resource avoidance measures; and 
• Operational refinements are designed to reduce emissions, noise, and surface disturbance.Ěý

In total, South32 committed to more than 135 conservation, mitigation and monitoring measures developed in coordination with federal agencies, Tribes and local stakeholders. Many of those commitments will become federally enforceable components of the final Mine Plan of Operations, and associated management plans outlined in the Final ROD. 

“The Final Record of Decision for Hermosa is another important milestone for Nogales. It reflects years of collaboration to ensure the Hermosa project is developed in a way that balances economic opportunity with environmental stewardship,” said Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado. “South32 is making a long-term investment in the people and future of Nogales through investments like its remote operating center “Centro”. Hermosa has the potential to create new opportunities to support good-paying jobs and help ensure that more of our young people can build successful careers right here at home, and we appreciate South32’s commitment to developing Hermosa responsibly while creating opportunities for local families, students and businesses.” 

With a surface footprint of 750 acres and projected to use approximately 90% less water than other mines in the region, South32 designed Hermosa to minimize its environmental impact. Once in operation, Hermosa would help transform and grow the local economy and create up to 900 good-paying jobs during peak operations, and support investment across surrounding communities for decades to come. 

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Arizona small businesses struggling with rising health insurance costs will soon have more coverage options after Gov. Katie Hobbs signed HB 2693, legislation spearheaded by the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app of Commerce & Industry that expands access to multiple employer welfare arrangements, or MEWAs.

Nationally, the pressure is especially acute for the smallest employers. A 2024 JPMorganChase Institute analysis found that health insurance premiums consumed a larger share of compensation costs for lower-revenue businesses, with firms under $600,000 in annual revenue seeing a median health insurance payroll burden of nearly 12%, compared with 7% for firms above $2.4 million.

Sponsored by Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria), the legislation allows small employers to join qualifying organizations, like the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app, that can negotiate health benefits on behalf of a broader pool of participants. For Arizona’s smaller employers, the MEWA model offers a framework to build greater purchasing power in a market that often gives larger businesses more leverage.

“This bill is about giving small businesses more choices,” Rep. Livingston said. “When employers can come together through an association, they have a better opportunity to access coverage the way larger employers do, with more people in the risk pool and more leverage to manage costs.”

The law also expands eligibility to include sole proprietors, working owners, and employers with as few as two eligible employees. When coverage is available, eligible employers may be able to seek plans through a qualifying statewide chamber of commerce or a statewide business league.

Arizona is not starting from scratch. Similar MEWA models are already in use in other states, including Missouri, where the Missouri ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app Federation’s ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app Benefit Plan has used a MEWA structure since 2017 to help small employers join a larger self-funded pool. The Missouri ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app says the plan has grown to nearly 4,000 covered groups and more than 45,000 covered individuals.

As HB 2693 moves into implementation, Missouri’s experience provides Arizona policymakers and business leaders with a useful point of reference for how a similar model can expand coverage options for small employers.

“HB 2693 allows for greater flexibility, expanded choice, improved stability, and lower costs,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app of Commerce & Industry. “For small businesses working to attract and retain talent, those benefits can make a meaningful difference for employers and employees across Arizona.”

Thanks to this legislation, the ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app is launching a MEWA program that will help Arizona’s small businesses, the backbone of our economy, have access to more affordable and flexible health coverage.

As that program takes shape, the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app of Commerce & Industry has created an HB 2693 website where employers can learn more about MEWA and add their support for expanding health coverage options for Arizona small businesses.

For small employers facing rising benefit costs, HB 2693 creates a new option for more stable, affordable coverage, helping businesses better support employees and compete for talent.

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Banner Health’s research enterprise delivered new treatment opportunities to patients in 2025 while strengthening Arizona’s position in medical innovation, according to the health system’s newly released .Ěý

The report also highlights Banner’s role in Arizona’s health care and research economy. 

Banner’s $80.5 million research enterprise now supports 1,300 translational and clinical studies spanning neuroscience, cardiology, oncology and orthopedics.  

“We are deeply committed to advancing patient care through the power of clinical research,” said Corey Casper, MD, MPH, Banner’s chief research officer.  

Banner’s research footprint spans 33 hospitals and includes 371 team members, 315 scientific publications, 158,470 biomarker tests for collaborators and 16,389 brain tissue samples shared with scientific groups in 10 countries. 

Banner said partnerships are also helping expand the reach of its research enterprise, including collaborations with the University of Arizona and MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as relationships with institutions such as Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University and Arizona State University.  

Amy Perry, Banner Health’s president and chief executive officer, described the research enterprise as a “strategic investment in Arizona’s future” in the release.  

Among the milestones highlighted in the 2025 report was Banner’s role in advancing the first FDA-approved device for severe mitral annular calcification, a heart valve condition affecting up to 30% of older Americans that has traditionally required open-heart surgery.  

“Banner Health’s continued commitment to patients and communities shows the role Arizona can play in advancing medical innovation,” said Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app of Commerce & Industry. “Its investment in research and patient care is strengthening our economy and making a meaningful difference for Arizona patients and communities.” 

Banner Health will be recognized with the Corporate Citizen Award at the Arizona ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝app’s Annual Awards Celebration on June 2, 2026, highlighting its broader role in Arizona’s economy and its dedication to serving communities across the state. 

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