Key questions answered about Aug. 2 primary election
By Ananya Tiwari for Arizona Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK
Arizona will hold its primary election Aug. 2, along with the states of Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington. Arizona’s general election is Nov. 8, at the same time as the rest of the nation.
On the ballot in Arizona are races for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, corporation commission and mine inspector. All 90 seats in the Legislature are on the ballot this year and many cities and towns also are holding elections.
What are the deadlines for voting in the election?
July 5: Last day to register for the primary election. Voter registration forms must be submitted by 11.59 p.m. July 5.
July 6: Early voting begins and ballots are mailed; early voting locations and drop-boxes become available.
July 22: Last day to request a ballot in the mail.
July 26: Last day to mail back your ballot.
Aug. 2: Primary election day. Oct. 11: Deadline to register to vote for the general election.
How do I register to vote in Arizona or check my voter registration status?
For voter registration, visit Arizona.Vote and click the red button that reads “Register to Vote.” Be sure to have a valid Arizona driver’s license or state-issued ID for registration and you must be a resident of Arizona to register. Or, you must provide proof of citizenship status, details for which are on the Maricopa County Elections website.
To check your registration status, visit the Arizona Voter Information Portal at my.arizona.vote and verify your registration. Detailed answers to specific questions on voter registration are at Service Arizona’s FAQ page.
Maricopa County residents also can visit BeBallotReady.Vote to check the status of their registration.
If you live in metro Phoenix, you can also register to vote and check the voter dashboard via the Maricopa County Elections Department website at elections.maricopa.gov.
How do I get a sample ballot?
On the voter dashboard on the county elections website, Maricopa County residents can check the status of their ballot, voting history and see a sample ballot, among other functions. More details on eligibility are also available on the site.
Can I register in person?
You can also register in person at your county recorder’s office. You should contact the office directly for information on hours and locations. A full list of recorder’s offices across Arizona is at https://azsos.gov/county-electioninfo.
What is the Active Early Voting List?
When registering you can opt to join the Active Early Voting List, which previously was known as the Permanent Early Voting List. If you’re on this list, you will receive ballots in the mail for every election you are eligible to vote for in the future. If you do not vote in two consecutive elections, your status will change to an inactive voter. About 77% of Maricopa County voters are on this list.
To register for the list, go to https://azsos.gov/votebymail.
What do independent voters need to know before voting?
Independent voters without any designated party must make a ballot choice prior to voting. July 9 is the deadline to make that request online or through the mail at your county recorder’s office.
Independent voters may request to receive a Republican, Democratic, or Nonpartisan/Municipal Only ballot. The Nonpartisan/Municipal Only ballot is only available in cities or towns with nonpartisan municipal races in August and will only contain those city/town races. (Nonpartisan municipal races also are included on partisan party ballots.)
Independent voters may indicate their ballot selection in one of four ways: By mail: Independent voters on the AEVL should have received a notice in the mail from their county recorder. Return that notice with your choice of ballot selected.
By phone: Call your county recorder’s office to indicate your ballot selection for the primary election.
Online: Select the option to request a ballot-by-mail online for online registration at https://azsos.gov/votebymail. Other ways of requesting a ballot are by contacting your county recorder or submitting a written ballot-by-mail request form, details of which are also mentioned on the above site.
In-person: If you miss the July 9 deadline, independent voters can make their ballot choice at either an early voting or primary election day voting location.
When is the deadline for voter registration for the primary?
All registrations — online and in person — must be completed by 11.59 p.m. July 5.
How do I get an early mail-in ballot?
Once you register to vote and request a mail-in ballot, you will receive the ballot after they are mailed on July 6.
The deadline to request a ballot by mail is July 22, but the ballots must be received by the county recorder by 7 p.m. Aug. 2 to get counted.
Make sure to sign the affidavit on the ballot envelope to ensure your ballot is counted. If voters forget to do that, they have until 7 p.m. on election night to show up at their county recorder’s office to sign the ballot.
Locations for the early voting drop boxes are updated on county recorder’s official websites. Specific information on voting drop box locations for Maricopa County residents is at https://elections. maricopa.gov/voting/where-tovote. html.
Can I return my friend’s ballot?
No. State law does not permit a person to return another voter’s ballot. There are exceptions for family members, members of the same household and caregivers.
What do I need to bring to vote in person?
Each county recorder’s office website will have locations where voters can vote in person starting July 6. You can find contact information for your county at https://azsos.gov/county-electioninfo.
On Aug. 2, polling places across the state will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Maricopa County, more than 200 locations will be available on that day for in-person voting. You will receive your ballot at the location and you must bring an ID, such as a driver’s license, or other proof of citizenship or federal status to verify your identity. You can find a list of eligible documents at https://azsos.gov/elections/ voting-election.
How can I track my ballot?
Arizona voters can track their ballots at the Arizona Voter Information Portal at https://my.arizona.vote/Portal-List.aspx.
Maricopa County voters can track their ballots online on their voter dashboard at BeBallotReady.Vote.
Maricopa County voters cans also text “JOIN” at 628683 to receive text notifications of when their ballot gets counted, verified and other details.
Where do I find election results?
For election results, check out the secretary of state’s website, county recorders website and azcentral.com.
What if I am out of town during voting?
Those who are out of Maricopa County for the election should note that even if they have a forwarding address on file at the post office, ballots will not get sent to these addresses. Arizona law does not allow official election materials, like ballots, to be forwarded by the postal service.
A voter may request a one-time early ballot be sent to a temporary mailing address by reaching out to their county recorder.
This temporary address has to be within the U.S. You will need to provide a full name, residence, temporary mailing address and date of birth for verification purposes.
Voters who are out of the country can find more information at https://my.arizona.vote/UOCAVA2/default.aspx.
What Arizona election law changes should I know about for 2022?
The change from the Permanent Early Voting to the Active Early Voting List was a big one. The Legislature ended what was known as PEVL in 2021.
Those who were on the Permanent Early Voting List must vote by mail in at least one general, primary or municipal election within two consecutive election cycles (beginning after the 2022 election cycle), to remain on the new Active Early Voting List.
If they do not, they will receive a notice from their county recorder, asking if they would like to remain on the list. If they don’t respond within 90 days, they will be removed.
The first Active Early Voting List (AEVL) removal notices are scheduled to be sent by Jan. 15, 2027, to AEVL voters who do not vote in any eligible elections in the 2024 and 2026 election cycles, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Voting resources
● The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office at https://www.arizona.vote/ for information for all state residents.
● The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission at https://www.azcleanelections.gov/arizona-elections also provides information on a county-by-county basis.
● Be Ballot Ready at https://recorder.maricopa.gov/Elections/BeBallotReady/ for Maricopa County voters.