That record number of Arizonans who turned out to vote this year has a dark side for direct democracy: It's going to be harder for voters to propose their own laws or get rid of ones they don't like.

For the first time in more than two decades, Arizonans won't have the option to vote for a Libertarian Party candidate for governor.

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes, who is heading the office in an election year for the first time, isn’t satisfied with a decades-old system, and he hasn’t been shy about saying so.

The question of whether voters get to decide whether to outlaw ``dark money'' could depend on whether a judge voids a law that throws a hurdle in the path of initiative organizers.

The question of whether voters get to decide on a new renewable energy mandate for utilities could turn, in part, on how many petition signatures a judge lets Arizona Public Service challenge.

The Arizona Senate Ethics Committee will investigate a Democratic state senator for allegedly violating signature gathering laws, but won’t do any real sleuthing until the attorney general weighs in.

A Republican lawmaker wants Democratic Rep. Isela Blanc investigated by the House Ethics Committee, citing allegations that petition sheets she gathered to block an expansion of school vouchers were doctored.

A handful of incumbent Arizona legislators aren’t happy that the most prolific signature gathering firm in the state is treating them the way they treat citizens who propose or challenge laws via the ballot.

Legislation banning voter initiative backers from paying petition circulators for each signature they gather is on its way to Gov. Doug Ducey's desk.

The legislation that Rep. Vince Leach, R-Tucson, is advancing is the top priority of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has made “reform” of the initiative process its top legislative priority in the wake of voter approval of increasing the minimum wage.