What is “single-shot” voting for the
Arizona House of Representatives?
Each Legislative District elects two representatives to the Arizona House — and in districts where only one Democrat is running, the smartest thing you can do is vote for that one candidate and leave your second House vote blank. That’s “single-shot” voting.
Watch: single-shot voting in under two minutes
Kevin Volk, successful 2024 single-shot candidate for Arizona House in LD17, explains the basics of single-shot voting.
Slideshow: how a Democrat wins in a Republican-majority district
More details
Each Arizona Legislative District (LD) has two House seats. In each of nine LDs this year, a single Democratic candidate is running against two Republicans. If you live in one of these districts, you can supercharge your vote with single-shot voting for the AZ House.
The nine single-shot Legislative Districts for Democrats in 2026 are: 1 ,2, 7, 14, 16, 25, 27, 29 & 30
If you vote for the one Democrat on the ballot and no Republicans, the Republican candidates get fewer votes — and with the help of enough Democratic and Independent voters, the Democratic candidate has a real chance of winning one of the two seats.
Because the ballot says “Vote for not more than 2,” it may be tempting to vote for the one Democrat plus the least objectionable Republican. But you don’t have to vote for two candidates. It’s perfectly legal to vote for just one.
In some Republican-leaning districts, the Democrat is unlikely to get the most votes of the three candidates. That’s okay. The goal is for the Democrat to finish first or second — the top two vote-getters each win a seat, and there’s no difference between first and second place.
What not to do
If you vote for one Democrat and one Republican, they each get one vote from you — it doesn’t help the Democrat at all.
What to do instead
Vote for the one Democrat and no Republicans. Now the Democrat has one more vote than either Republican. By not voting for either Republican, you “supercharge” your vote by increasing its relative value. If enough voters do this, it can be a huge boost for the Democratic candidate.
A note for Independent voters
You might be tempted to vote for one Democrat and one Republican, thinking that’s a “balanced” vote. But the best thing you can do is cast only one vote — for the Democrat. Remember: if only one Democrat is running, at least one Republican will always win, so your district will still be represented by one Democrat and one Republican.