Skip to main content
Independent and nonpartisan. SaveYourState is a civic information resource. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with any government agency, party, or campaign.

Arizona · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure

Proposition 316: what your vote means

Local sales taxes on groceries. On every Arizona ballot. Official sources checked October 26, 2026.

Proposition 316 · Statute referred by the Legislature (cannot later be changed except by a three-fourths legislative vote that furthers its purpose, or by voters)

Local sales taxes on groceries

Heads up: voting YES on this measure is retroactive: it would prohibit local grocery-tax adoptions or increases made from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.

Official ballot title (quoted exactly)

OFFICIAL TITLE: AMENDING TITLE 42, CHAPTER 6, ARTICLE 1, SECTION 42-6015, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: RETROACTIVELY PROHIBITS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM ADOPTING OR INCREASING A TAX ON GROCERIES WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL AND SETS A MAXIMUM RATE OF 2%.

Official title and descriptive title as printed in the ballot format section of the 2026 Arizona Publicity Pamphlet, Secretary of State.

A YES vote means:

Local governments could not adopt or raise a tax on groceries between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027, applied retroactively; after that, new or higher grocery taxes would need voter approval and could not exceed 2%.

A NO vote means:

Current laws on local government taxation stay as they are.

What it would change

  • Who is affected: cities, towns, and other taxing jurisdictions, and people who buy food for home consumption.
  • Taxes: localities already at 2% or more could not raise their rate.
  • Fiscal impact: No official fiscal impact statement is published in the Publicity Pamphlet for this legislative referral.

Official arguments, summarized

Short neutral summaries of the arguments printed in the official voters’ pamphlet. The committees that wrote them are responsible for their content. Read the full text at the link below.

Argument for

Supporters, including the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, say cities keep their current food-tax revenue, any future increase would need local voter approval up to a cap, and the measure balances household costs with city budget stability.

Argument against

Opponents say the cap limits a revenue source that some smaller and rural towns rely on heavily, could lead to service cuts or higher property taxes, and that requiring a local vote for increases adds cost and limits local control.

Arguments “For” (p. 98) and “Against” (p. 99) Proposition 316, 2026 Arizona Publicity Pamphlet, Secretary of State (PDF)

Who supports it and who opposes it

These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed. Lists checked October 30, 2026.

Who supports it

Who opposes it

Official sources

SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.