Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that 24,000 duplicate petition signatures will be thrown out, likely killing a ballot measure that would have let voters decide whether to rein in the state’s universal school choice program. The decision means families will keep access to education savings accounts that can be used for private school tuition, homeschooling costs, and other educational expenses.
The Protect Education Act campaign collected nearly 420,000 signatures — roughly twice the minimum needed to reach the ballot. But the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and Goldwater Institute sued in July, challenging tens of thousands of signatures over invalid addresses and eligibility problems.
How the Signature Challenge Worked
After removing clearly invalid signatures, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes sent random samples of the remaining 389,000 signatures to county recorders for verification, following standard state procedure. Officials calculated a 75.2% validity rate and projected that figure across all signatures.
The Supreme Court’s ruling upholds the lower court’s method for identifying and removing duplicate signatures. With 24,000 duplicates disqualified, the measure likely falls below the legal threshold to appear on ballots.
What Arizona’s School Choice Program Does
Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program gives parents roughly $7,000 per child annually to spend on educational expenses outside traditional public schools. The program expanded to universal eligibility in 2022, meaning any Arizona family can apply regardless of income.
Supporters say the program gives working families the same educational choices wealthy parents have always had. Critics argue it drains funding from public schools and lacks accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent.
What Happens Next
The measure’s backers could pursue additional legal challenges, though options appear limited after the state’s highest court weighed in. Without the ballot question, Arizona’s school choice program continues unchanged.
The fight over education funding isn’t going away. Similar battles are playing out in state legislatures and courts nationwide as more states consider or expand school choice programs. Arizona’s program remains among the nation’s most expansive, with no income limits or caps on enrollment.
Key Points
- Arizona Supreme Court upheld removal of 24,000 duplicate petition signatures, likely preventing ballot measure from reaching voters
- The blocked measure would have let voters decide whether to restrict the state’s universal school choice voucher program
- Arizona families retain access to $7,000 annual education savings accounts usable for private school and homeschooling costs
https://www.courthousenews.com/arizona-school-choice-reform-effort-fails-before-reaching-ballots/ – August 18, 2026
