Arizona Proposition 131 is a constitutional amendment, approved by voters in November 2022, that creates the office of Lieutenant Governor and places that officer first in line to succeed the Governor. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor will run together on a joint ticket, and the first election under the new system takes place in November 2026.
Why Arizona Added the Office
Arizona’s old succession system put the Secretary of State next in line, and that official was often from the opposing party. Five of the state’s last nine governors reached office through succession rather than election, and in two of those cases the governorship flipped parties. The best-known example came in 2009, when Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer replaced Democrat Janet Napolitano after Napolitano left to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The joint-ticket approach is meant to solve that. Voters who elect a governor from one party can no longer end up with a governor from the other party through succession alone, because the successor now shares the outgoing governor’s ticket.
The New Line of Succession
Prop 131 amended Article V of the Arizona Constitution to place the Lieutenant Governor at the top of the succession order. When the Governor’s office becomes permanently vacant through death, resignation, removal, or permanent disability, the Lieutenant Governor takes over and serves until a successor is elected and qualifies.1Citizens Clean Elections Commission. About the Lieutenant Governor
If both offices are vacant at the same time, succession falls to the Secretary of State, then the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in that order.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 6 – Death, Resignation, Removal or Disability of Governor or Lieutenant Governor The amended constitution also drops the older requirement that these backup successors must hold their own office by election, so an appointed Secretary of State or Attorney General can now step up if everyone ahead of them is unavailable.
How the 2026 Joint Ticket Works
The primary and general elections handle the ticket differently. Gubernatorial candidates run alone in the primary. Only after winning the primary does each nominee choose a running mate for Lieutenant Governor. The Arizona Secretary of State’s candidate guide sets the deadline for gubernatorial nominees to file a Nomination Paper identifying that pick at 5:00 p.m. on September 4, 2026.3Arizona Secretary of State. Running for Public Office – A Candidate Guide 2026 No one can run independently for Lieutenant Governor outside that process.
On the general election ballot, the running mate’s name appears with or below the gubernatorial nominee’s, and a single vote for governor counts as a vote for both.4Ballotpedia. Article 5, Arizona Constitution The 2026 primary is scheduled for July 21, with voter registration closing June 22 and early ballots mailing June 24.5Arizona Secretary of State. 2026 Election Info
Temporary Absences
The rules split permanent vacancies from temporary ones. If the Governor is impeached, leaves the state, or has a temporary disability, the Lieutenant Governor serves as acting governor only until the situation resolves, at which point the Governor resumes full authority.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 6 – Death, Resignation, Removal or Disability of Governor or Lieutenant Governor
Filling a Vacancy in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office
If the Lieutenant Governor dies, resigns, is removed, or becomes permanently disabled, the Governor appoints a replacement. That appointment requires a majority vote in both the Arizona House and Senate.6FindLaw. Arizona Constitution Art. V Section 6 – Death, Resignation, Removal or Disability of Governor or Lieutenant Governor
What the Lieutenant Governor Actually Does
To keep the office from being purely ceremonial, the Arizona Legislature passed SB 1255, which requires the Governor to place the Lieutenant Governor in an existing role: the Governor’s Chief of Staff, the Director of the Department of Administration, or any other position the Governor is already authorized to fill.7Arizona Legislature. SB 1255 Senate Fact Sheet The constitution also lets the legislature assign additional duties later, so the job can grow as the state uses it.
How the Vote Went
Prop 131 was placed on the ballot by the Legislature rather than by citizen petition.1Citizens Clean Elections Commission. About the Lieutenant Governor Voters approved it in November 2022, with roughly 55 percent voting yes and 45 percent voting no. The Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee published a fiscal analysis before the vote estimating the costs of adding the office.8Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Proposition 131 Lieutenant Governor Joint Ticket Fiscal Analysis Folding the Lieutenant Governor into an existing administrative post under SB 1255 is meant to hold those costs down.