Arizona ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Arizona Proposition 319, explained

Limits on traffic photo enforcement cameras. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

PROHIBITS STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM USING PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT UNLESS PROVIDED BY CONTRACT AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2026; REQUIRES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO OBTAIN VOTER APPROVAL TO CONTINUE THEIR USE. A "yes" vote shall have the effect of: (1) prohibiting state agencies and local governments from using photo enforcement systems to identify violators of traffic laws unless the agency or government contracts to use those systems by December 31, 2026; and (2) requiring local governments to obtain voter approval of existing photo enforcement systems at the next regular general election and every 10 years afterward to continue using photo enforcement systems. A "no" vote shall have the effect of maintaining the current laws governing photo enforcement systems.

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Bans new speed and red-light cameras in Arizona unless a state agency or local government has a contract in place by December 31, 2026. Local governments with existing camera programs would have to win local voter approval at the next general election, and again every 10 years, to keep them.

If you vote YES

State agencies and local governments could not use photo enforcement for speeding or traffic signal violations unless they had a contract before December 31, 2026.
Local governments with existing contracts would need voter approval at the next general election to continue; if voters say no, cameras must stop within 90 days.
Approved programs could run for 10 years before needing voter approval again.

If you vote NO

State agencies and local governments could continue to adopt and operate speed and red-light camera programs under current law, without a required local vote.

The numbers that matter

Contract cutoff for continued use: December 31, 2026
Required local re-approval: Every 10 years

Why supporters say YES

Photo enforcement cameras enable warrantless surveillance of law-abiding drivers and collect data that may not be secure; the measure returns control to voters rather than officials and camera companies.
— Official argument for, by Kristin Baumgartner of Prescott
Profit-driven private camera systems strip drivers of due process and turn roads into revenue machines; voters should decide how their communities are policed.
— Official argument for, by Mark Lewis of Scottsdale

Why opponents say NO

The measure goes beyond speed traps to block life-saving red-light cameras; Phoenix police found cameras reduced red-light-running crashes by 31% at the intersections where they were used.
— Official argument against, by Will Humble, Executive Director, Arizona Public Health Association
Red-light cameras cut fatal red-light crashes by 21% according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; a permanent ban for cities without programs by year's end strips communities of a tool for future safety problems.
— Official argument against, by Michelle Donati, Director of Government Affairs, AAA Arizona

What’s genuinely uncertain

Which existing local programs would survive depends on local votes starting at the next general election.
Crash reduction figures are cited by opponents from Phoenix police, federal and insurance industry research, not from an official fiscal or safety analysis of this measure.
Opponents also include the Institute of Transportation Engineers Arizona Section; no organized committee for the measure was identified.

The bottom line

Voter control over traffic cameras and fewer ticket-by-mail programs, against losing a tool that safety experts say reduces serious crashes.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:azsos.gov apps.azsos.gov apps.azsos.gov azleg.gov

Checking it against the official text

The Arizona Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Arizona Secretary of State.

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