Arizona Voters Want Answers on Their Priorities as Voting Begins

As early voting begins and early ballots are mailed for Arizona’s General Election, Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) is offering voters a data-driven, nonpartisan set of questions to consider whether candidates have addressed their priorities with clear plans and solutions.

The 2026 Arizona Voters’ Agenda is CFA’s election-year public opinion research initiative focused on what likely Arizona voters want leaders to address. The research examines a wide range of issues, identifies priorities with strong agreement across political affiliations and age groups, and provides additional insight into voters’ concerns, experiences, and perspectives.

The resulting Questions for Candidates & Leaders have helped highlight these issues for voters in the media, candidate forums, and public conversations. As Arizonans begin casting their ballots, the questions provide a resource for evaluating candidates in relation to the issues that matter to them.

"Arizonans are optimistic and believe our best days are ahead but they don't believe leaders are doing enough or responsive enough to their concerns," said Dr. Sybil Francis, Chair, President & CEO of CFA. “Voters want candidates to get away from the political noise and speak to the issues that matter most to them and how they will deliver results."

Ninety-three percent of likely voters say it is important to have opportunities to hear candidates directly answer questions about issues that matter to most Arizona voters, including 80% who say it is very important. That expectation extends across political affiliations and age groups.

Voters are also looking for leadership focused on solving problems. Across CFA’s extensive research, Arizonans have consistently valued long-term planning, pragmatic solutions, and action that produces results.

The new research shows 63% prefer to elect leaders who develop practical solutions to Arizona’s biggest challenges, even when they do not agree with them on every political issue.

Voters Want Plans for Arizona’s Future

The full 2026 Arizona Voters’ Agenda reveals a connected set of shared priorities and expectations for Arizona’s future.

Voters want action to improve public education, develop Arizona’s talent to meet workforce needs, make it possible for people to afford their lives here, and ensure access to healthcare. They want long-term planning for water, energy, infrastructure, and extreme heat as Arizona grows. They also want a secure and functioning border, fair treatment of immigrants, and to keep elections fair, secure, accessible, and worthy of public confidence.

The questions for candidates & leaders bring those expectations into the election by focusing attention on what candidates would do, why they believe their approach would work, and how they would measure results.

Among the research-based questions voters can consider are:

• What would you do to make Arizona more affordable for people who live and work here?
• What long-term investments would you prioritize to ensure Arizona’s water, energy, and infrastructure can support continued growth and quality of life?
• Most voters say elected leaders are not doing enough to improve public education. What would you do differently to improve student outcomes, expand pathways into good careers, and measure progress?
• What actions would you take to advance affordable and accessible healthcare for Arizonans and strengthen the healthcare workforce needed across the state?
• Arizona voters support both border security and a functioning border for commerce, trade, and legal immigration. What would you do to advance those priorities?
• Do you support continuing Arizona’s vote-by-mail system? What evidence supports your position, and how would any election changes you favor improve security, confidence, or participation?

The complete resource includes additional questions on leadership, elections, education, economic opportunity and workforce, affordability and housing, healthcare, water, growth and infrastructure, and immigration.

Put Voters’ Shared Priorities to Work Before Casting a Ballot

Political campaigning does not always reflect the issues voters care about most. Throughout the election, the Arizona Voters’ Agenda and its resulting questions have provided candidates, journalists, moderators, and civic organizations with a shared framework for focusing public conversations on voters’ priorities, candidates’ plans, and the results they would seek.

As voting begins, the questions offer Arizonans a way to bring that same focus to their own decisions. Have candidates addressed the priorities affecting people and communities? Have they explained what they would do and why they believe it would work? Have they said how they would measure results?

Answers may come through candidates’ policy proposals and communications, news interviews, community forums, and debates. The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, established through the voter-approved Citizens Clean Elections Act, is Arizona’s official debate sponsor and provides one important nonpartisan resource for hearing directly from candidates.

Keep the Questions Working After Election Day

Voting determines who will represent Arizonans, but meaningful participation does not end with an election. The same priorities and questions can help people assess whether those elected take action, produce results, and move Arizona toward the future voters want.

“Democracy does not end when the ballots are counted,” Dr. Francis added. “Voting gives each of us a voice in choosing our leaders, and staying engaged helps ensure that Arizonans’ priorities inform what comes next. Ask candidates now what they will do. Keep asking those elected what actions they have taken and what results Arizona is achieving. A stronger future is built when people participate, leaders respond, and we measure whether action is producing results.”

Explore the research. Ask questions. Vote. Make your voice heard. Find the complete 2026 Arizona Voters’ Agenda, Questions for Candidates & Leaders, methodology, and more at ArizonaFuture.org/AVA.