Maricopa County's One-Page Ballot: What Voters with Disabilities Miss

Maricopa County is cutting its November ballot from two pages down to one, but accessibility experts and voters with disabilities say the move misses the real problem. The county is shrinking the physical footprint while leaving voters to parse more than 80 contests on a single sheet, and advocates are pushing back on the assumption that page count equals access.

This matters to East Valley homeowners and renters because ballot accessibility directly affects turnout, and turnout shapes local policy on everything from school bonds to water rights to development approvals. When voters with disabilities sit out elections, their voices disappear from decisions that affect property values, infrastructure, and neighborhood character.

Why the County Made the Switch

According to Cronkite News, Maricopa County will compress its November ballot into a single page while maintaining all 80-plus contests. The county framed this as a cost and efficiency move, but the reasoning also touched on simplification for voters navigating a crowded ballot.

The problem is that accessibility isn't just about page count. Voters with vision impairments, cognitive disabilities, and motor control challenges don't benefit from cramming more contests onto one sheet. In fact, the opposite often happens.

What Disability Advocates Are Saying

Cronkite's reporting quotes voters and advocates who say real ballot access depends on font size, spacing, contrast, and the ability to navigate contests without physical strain. A single-page ballot with 80-plus races forces smaller type, tighter spacing, and more scrolling or panning for voters using assistive technology like screen readers.

One voter with a disability told Cronkite that the one-page format actually made voting harder, not easier. Another advocate noted that accessibility compliance isn't a checkbox; it's a process of listening to the voters who use the ballot.

The county's move assumes that fewer pages means fewer problems. But voters with disabilities know better. A two-page ballot with readable type and clear spacing beats a one-page ballot with compressed contests and tiny fonts every time.

What This Means for East Valley Voters

If you have a disability, or you live with someone who does, the November ballot is going to be tougher to navigate than it should be. You might need to spend more time at the polling place, rely more heavily on assistance, or struggle with a ballot that was designed for efficiency rather than inclusion.

For the broader community, this is a turnout issue. When voters with disabilities face barriers, they're more likely to skip local elections. That means fewer voices in decisions about Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Queen Creek development, school funding, and local bonds. In a county where special elections and bond measures often pass or fail by narrow margins, accessibility isn't a nice-to-have. It's a civic infrastructure problem.

The county had the chance to redesign the ballot with accessibility in mind from the start. Instead, it optimized for page count and left voters with disabilities to figure it out on their own.

What to Do Next

If you vote in Maricopa County and have concerns about ballot accessibility, here are concrete steps:

1. Request a provisional ballot or early voting period if the one-page format is difficult for you. Maricopa County offers early voting and mail-in ballots, which give you more time and flexibility to work through the contests.

2. Contact your county supervisor's office before November to request accommodations or to report accessibility issues with the ballot format. Feedback matters for future elections.

3. Read the full Cronkite report to understand what advocates are saying about accessible ballot design: https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2026/09/24/maricopa-county-ballot-voters-disabilities/

4. Check your voter registration and polling location now at the Maricopa County Elections website so you're not scrambling in November.

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This is educational content, not legal advice. Consult your county elections office or a disability rights advocate for specific accommodation requests.