Civics 101 | Become an Informed Voter
Overview
Becoming an informed voter can be broken down into five basic steps:
1. Civics 101 – understand the basics.
2. Find out who represents you.
3. Determine which issues matter the most to you.
4. Find out the candidates’ positions on the issues that matter most to you.
5. Vote your values!
Becoming informed takes effort. The choice is not always easy, but it is always significant. The people you
select and the ballot measures you support make a very real and practical difference in the lives of real men,
women, and children. Think of civic engagement as a form of ministry in which you are able to both directly
and indirectly impact people’s lives and the culture.
Civics 101
The three levels of government are: Federal, State, and Local. At the Federal and State levels, there are three
branches of government: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
Federal:
Executive:
President
Legislative:
U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives (Congress)
Judicial:
U.S. Supreme Court, Circuit Court of Appeals, District Courts
Executive:
Governor
Legislative:
State Senators and State Representatives (State Legislature)
Judicial:
State Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior and County Courts
State:
Revision Date: January 2014
© Center for Arizona Policy, Inc. grants permission
to copy and distribute this publication in its entirety
without changes or additions.
Center for Arizona Policy, Inc.
602.424.2525
www.azpolicy.org
Civics 101 | Become an Informed Voter
Local:
County Government:
Board of Supervisors, County Attorney
City Government:
Mayor and City Council Members
School Districts:
School Boards
Federal Government – Washington D.C.
Executive: President Barack Obama
Legislative: U.S. Congress is made up of two Houses: Senate and House of Representatives. Senate and House
are both directly elected.
Senate: 100 Senators (2 from each state, staggered 6-year terms)
From Arizona:
Jeff Flake
John McCain
House of Representatives: 435 Representatives (number of seats based on population, 2-year terms)
9 Congressional Districts in Arizona:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ann Kirkpatrick
Ron Barber
Raul Grijalva
Paul Gosar
Matt Salmon
6.
7.
8.
9.
David Schweikert
Ed Pastor
Trent Franks
Kyrsten Sinema
Determine your Congressional District at www.azpolicy.org by clicking on the “Who Represents You?” link.
Judicial: Supreme Court (nine Justices). Justices are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment.
Chief Justice:
John Roberts
Associate Justices:
Samuel Alito
Anthony Kennedy
Stephen Breyer
Anthony Scalia
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Sonia Sotomayor
Elena Kagan
Clarence Thomas
www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx
State Government – Phoenix, AZ
Executive: Governor Jan Brewer
Revision Date: January 2014
© Center for Arizona Policy, Inc. grants permission
to copy and distribute this publication in its entirety
without changes or additions.
Center for Arizona Policy, Inc.
602.424.2525
www.azpolicy.org
Civics 101 | Become an Informed Voter
Legislative: Arizona Legislature is made up of two Houses: Senate and House of Representatives. Senate and
House are both directly elected.
Senate: 30 Senators (one from each Legislative District, 2-year terms)
House of Representatives: 60 Representatives (2 from each Legislative District, 2-year terms)
Determine your Legislative District at www.azpolicy.org by clicking on the “Who Represents You?” link.
Judicial: State Supreme Court (five Justices). The five Justices are appointed by the Governor after the
Commission on Appellate Court Appointments nominates candidates to fill a vacancy. Justices serve on the
Arizona Supreme Court for a regular term of six years and subsequently face retention elections. One Justice is
selected by fellow Justices to serve as Chief Justice for a five-year term.
Chief Justice:
Rebecca White Berch
Vice Chief Justice:
Scott Bales
Justices:
Ann A. Scott Timmer
Robert Brutinel
John Pelander
www.azcourts.gov/Default.aspx?alias=www.azcourts.gov/MeetTheJustices
Who Should I Pray For?
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings
and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good,
and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)
22 key leaders in authority over you that you can be praying for:
1 President
1 Governor
2 U.S. Senators
1 State Senator*
1 U.S. Representative*
2 State Representatives*
9 Supreme Court Justices
5 State Supreme Court Justices
* Determine your Congressional and Legislative District at www.azpolicy.org by clicking on the “Who
Represents You?” Link.
Key 2014 Election Dates
Monday, July 28, 2014 – Voter registration deadline for Primary Election.
Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Early voting begins for Primary Election.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014 – Primary election.
Monday, October 6, 2014 – Voter registration deadline for General Election.
Revision Date: January 2014
© Center for Arizona Policy, Inc. grants permission
to copy and distribute this publication in its entirety
without changes or additions.
Center for Arizona Policy, Inc.
602.424.2525
www.azpolicy.org
Civics 101 | Become an Informed Voter
Thursday, October 9, 2014 – Early voting begins for General Election.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014 - General Election
Talking Points
•
You can make a difference by being informed and voting for candidates that share your values.
In his book, Politics According to the Bible, Dr. Wayne Grudem says “… if Christians don’t speak publicly
about moral and ethical issues facing the nation, who will?” Your vote is how you make your voice
heard.
•
Accessing straightforward information on the candidates is simple – just visit
www.azvoterguide.com. Center for Arizona Policy created the free resource www.azvoterguide.com
to help you cut through the spin and discover where the candidates stand on the issues that matter to
you most.
Resources
Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), www.azpolicy.org
Election information, www.azvoterguide.com
Arizona State Legislature, www.azleg.gov
Arizona Secretary of State, www.azsos.gov
Arizona County Recorder and Elections Office, www.azsos.gov/election/county.htm
© January 2014 Center for Arizona Policy, Inc. All rights reserved.
This publication includes summaries of many complex areas of law and is not specific legal advice to any person. Consult an attorney if you
have questions about your specific situation or believe your legal rights have been infringed. This publication is educational in nature
and should not be construed as an effort to aid or hinder any legislation.
Revision Date: January 2014
© Center for Arizona Policy, Inc. grants permission
to copy and distribute this publication in its entirety
without changes or additions.
Center for Arizona Policy, Inc.
602.424.2525
www.azpolicy.org