Legislature
   - House of Representatives: 60 members, 2 at-large elected in each of 30      Senate districts.    
   - Elected to two year terms
   - Senate: 30 members, elected to two year terms

General Campaign Finance Law in Arizona
The Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) (Section 16-901) defines an election as “any initiative, referendum or other measure or proposition or a primary, general, recall, special or runoff election for any office in this state other than the office of precinct committeeman and other than a federal office.”

Donation limits to candidates for the 2003-2004 State House and State Senate are:
   - $280 for individuals and Political Action Committes (PACs) per      election.
   - $1,440 for “Super PACs” per election. A Super PAC is any PAC that      receives donations from 500 or more different individuals of at least $10      in the year prior to applying for Super PAC status with the Arizona      Secretary of State.
   - No limit for self per election, but candidates are required to provide      notification of personal funds spent beyond the threshold of $14,070 and      of every additional $7,040 of personal funds spent.

Candidates may not raise more than $7,192 in aggregate from all political committees other than political parties.

Candidates may not raise more than $7,192 in aggregate from political parties or related political organizations.

No person can make contributions to candidates or committees that give to candidates in aggregate greater than $3,360 per calendar year.

Contributions to a state political party are unlimited for individuals, PACs, and national political parties.

Since donors are required to provide identification, there is an implied prohibition on anonymous contributions. All contributions from corporations and labor unions are prohibited.

The Arizona Secretary of State has the statutory authority to adjust contribution limits for inflation.

For candidates who voluntarily agree to limit campaign expenditures or who are certified as candidates by the Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission, the total expenditure limit for 2004 is $11,320 for primary elections and $16,980 for general elections for both State Senator and State Representative.

All information above adapted from: State of Arizona Secretary of State Campaign Finance Website (http://www.sosaz.com/cfs/) and the Arizona Revised Statutes (2004).

Public Financing — Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Act
A citizens initiative (Proposition 200) creating the Arizona legislative public financing system passed with 51% of the vote in 1998. The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Act (ACCEA) amended the state’s campaign finance law in order to create a full-public funding alternative for legislative and statewide candidates; the initiative also reduced by 20% the maximum contribution amounts for non-publicly funded candidates. The ACCEA also established the Citizens Clean Election Commission which administers the system, enforces its rules, and provides education to voters.

Funding for ACCEA comes from the following sources:
   - A voluntary state income tax check off of five dollars.
   - Tax credits for fund donations up to $500 or 20 percent of the      taxpayer's total tax owed, whichever is more.
   - $100 fee on lobbyists for for-profit entities, including trade groups of      for-profit entities.
   - A ten percent surcharge on certain civil penalties and criminal fines.
   - Qualifying contributions from candidates certified as MCEA candidates.
   - Fines and penalties collected by the Clean Election Commission.

     Candidates seeking public funds must meet the following requirements:
   - A candidate must file a declaration of intent prior to or during the      qualifying period.
   - Prior to certification as an ACCEA candidate, candidates may accept      early donations from individuals during the qualifying period of $110 or      less. The amount of early donations received, excluding qualifying      contributions, cannot be greater than ten percent of the total expenditure      limit for the election period (for 2004 this amount is $2,830).
   - A candidate for the legislature needs a minimum of 200 verified      registered voters from his/her district to support his candidacy by giving      a qualifying campaign contribution of five dollars per election cycle.

     Candidates seeking public funds must obey the following restrictions:
   - A candidate must adhere to the total expenditure limit for the election      period and cannot spend more than $550 of personal funds.
   - The use of public funds is limited to specific campaign goods and      services, as determined by the Clean Election Commission.
   - A candidate certified as an ACCEA candidate is subject to a total      expenditure limit in 2004 of $11,320 for primary elections and $16,980      for general elections for both State Senator and State Representative;      these amounts can be adjusted by the nature of the contest (unopposed      or opposed) and can be adjusted upward through a matching funds      provision.
   - Unused ACCEA funds must be returned when the candidate leaves the      race or when the election is concluded.

The amount of funds distributed through the ACCEA is determined as follows:
   - For contested primaries, the amount distributed is equal to the primary      election spending limit. For uncontested primaries, the amount distributed      is equal five dollars times the number of qualifying contributions for that      candidate received by the Commission. For an independent candidate,      the amount distributed is 70 percent of the primary spending limit.
   - For contested general elections, the amount distributed to all candidates,      including independents, is equal to the general election spending limit.      For uncontested general elections, the amount distributed is equal five      dollars times the number of qualifying contributions for that candidate      received by the Commission.
   - ACCEA provides candidates in dominant one-party districts (i.e.      districts in which one party has a registration advantage greater than ten      percent) with the option to receive 150 percent of the normal primary      distribution for the primary campaign, under the provision that the funds      available to them for a general election campaign, should they win the      primary, will be reduced by the same amount. This provision in effect      switches the amounts available.
   - ACCEA also provides matching funds for participating candidates. In      primary elections, ACCEA candidates are eligible to receive matching      dollars, up to three times their original distribution, for each dollar their      opponent goes over the original limit. In general elections, the same      provisions apply but the threshold for matching dollars is not the original      general election fund distribution but that distribution plus any funds left      unspent from the primary campaign. Independent expenditures are also      factored into the equation, with spending used against a publicly-funded      candidate or for the privately-funded candidate counting as expenses of      the privately-funded candidate. Independent expenditures on behalf of      the publicly-funded candidate are subtracted from the total expenses of      the privately-funded candidate.

All information above adapted from: State of Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission Website (http://www.ccec.state.az.us) and the Arizona Revised Statutes (2004).