By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX -- Calling the move confusing, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission wants Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to reverse -- or at least delay -- his decision to allow the No labels Party to be renamed the Arizona Independent Party.
In a letter to Fontes, Mark Kimble, who chairs the commission, points out that Arizona has used the word "independent'' for years to mean people who are registered to vote but unaffiliated with any organized party.
"That understanding is consistent across polling, national election research, and everyday voter experience,'' Kimble wrote. What allowing a party to use the word "Independent'' will do, he said, is create the risk that people will be signed up as a member of the Arizona Independent Party when they really wanted nothing to do with any party at all.
All that is critical given Arizona's "open primary.''
In general, only those registered with a recognized party can vote in the partisan primaries.
But Arizona law allows those who are unaffiliated -- something Kimble said translates to "independent'' -- to request a ballot ahead of each primary election for either the Republican or Democratic primary. A federal court ruling exempts the Arizona Libertarian Party from the open primary system.
But people registered with the Arizona Independent Party -- whether intentionally or otherwise -- will be eligible to receive only a primary ballot from that party and be able to choose only among those seeking that party's nomination.
"Experience in other states with similarly named parties show that this kind of confusion is common and difficult to correct once it occurs,'' Kimble said.
To back that up, he cited a 2016 poll in California, reported by the Los Angeles Times, a year in which the American Independent Party was recognized there. That story said that 73% of those who were signed up with that party believed they were unaffiliated.
So the commission wants Fontes to reverse his October approval allowing the new names for what had been the No Labels Party. And if he won't do that, Kimble said he should delay the effective date -- now set for this coming Monday -- until after the 2026 election cycle.
At this point, that request appears to be getting no traction.
"While we recognize the concern from those decrying the decision, the secretary has followed Arizona law in recognizing the name change,'' said Calli Jones, press aide to Fontes. She said, though, that he is working with the governor's office, the attorney general and the counties who administer voter registration "to make sure there's no confusion when voters register.''
Paul Johnson, who submitted the name change in October as chairman of the No Labels of Arizona Party, also said he doesn't see a problem.
In his request, Johnson told Fontes that Oregon, Connecticut and Delaware "have certified parties under the 'Independent' designation without confusion.''
"These examples demonstrate that state officials and court have consistently distinguished between an 'Independent Party' as a recognized political organization and 'independent/unaffiliated' as a registration status,'' he said.
But Johnson said he believes the complaints aren't about voter confusion. He said current politicians with the major parties do not want another political party on the ballot.
The key is that anyone wanting to run for statewide office as an independent candidate needs around 45,000 valid signature on petitions. Johnson said that has become a barrier.
But someone running within a party doesn't have the same hurdle.
In 2024, a Republican could get on the gubernatorial ballot with 7,032 signatures, a number based on registered voters. For Democrats it was 6,556, 3,607 for the Libertarian Party, 1,288 for the Green Party, and just 1,288 for the No Labels Party -- the soon-to-be-Arizona Independent Party -- which, according to the most recent figures, had signed up 42,277 people as members.
That lower hurdle, Johnson said, ensures that those who don't associate with any of the other parties have an opportunity to seek the nomination -- and that whoever gets the nomination will have an equal spot on the general election ballot with candidates from other parties.
Johnson, a former Phoenix mayor who ran unsuccessfully for governor himself in 1998 as a Democrat -- he became unaffiliated until the No Labels Party was formed -- said Democrats have long been opposed to the whole idea of having independents on the ballot.
"They fear it will elect (Republican) Andy Biggs,'' Johnson said, splintering the 2026 general election votes of those opposed to Trump-backed MAGA candidates.
If Fontes refuses to rescind his permission to use the Arizona Independent Party name, or at least delay it, that is unlikely to be the last word.
Tom Collins, executive director of the Clean Elections Commission, said the case could wind up in court.
He pointed out that Arizona law gives it unique powers when dealing with -- and protecting -- voters.
In fact, Collins said, the commission is the only entity with the power to directly communicate with and educate voters through its voter education guide. And that, he said, specifically includes how to participate in primaries.
"This will have a direct impact on that for sure,'' Collins said. "There's just no doubt about it.''
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