Voting in Arizona can seem intimidating at first. You have to register to vote and then figure out how you’re going to cast your ballot.
But once you do it, you’ll realize it’s actually pretty simple. And there are steps you can take, like joining the Active Early Voter List (more on that later), to make it easier on yourself for future elections.
If you’re a first-time voter looking for some tips here, way to go! You’re already on your way to becoming a regular voter making a difference in your community!
Let’s go through the process, starting with the first step: registering to vote.
Registering to vote
Before you vote in an election, you need to register to vote in your state.
To vote in the next general election on Nov. 3—in which voters will decide Arizona’s next governor, members of Congress, state lawmakers, ballot initiatives, and more—you must be registered by Oct. 5. Arizona does not allow for same-day voter registration.
Here’s how to make sure you’re registered and ready to vote in Arizona by then.
Are you eligible to vote?
To register to vote in Arizona, you must meet these three criteria:
- You’re a United States citizen.
- You’re a resident of Arizona.
- You will be 18 or older by Election Day.
What are some reasons you can’t register?
You cannot register to vote in Arizona if:
- You have been convicted of a felony and have not yet had your civil rights restored. For first-time felonies, you are able to vote again after you have served your sentence and paid restitution.
- A court of law has designated you as incapacitated.
How do you register?
If you have an Arizona driver’s license or photo ID card, you can register to vote online through Service Arizona. You will have to verify that you are eligible to vote and that you live where you say you live. You can choose your party preference while registering.
If you don’t have an Arizona driver’s license or state ID, you are still eligible to vote if you can provide proof of citizenship. Accepted forms of proof of citizenship can be found on the Arizona Secretary of State website.
You can also register to vote by printing a form and mailing it to your county recorder’s office. If you can’t print, you can also contact the county recorder’s office and ask them to mail you a form that you return to them. You can also go to your county recorder’s office in person and fill out the form there.
Once you submit your form, you should receive a voter registration card in the mail within four to six weeks. And if for some reason you don’t, no worries—you don’t need one to vote.
OK, I’m registered. Now how do I vote?
If you’re skipping to this step because you’re already registered to vote, check the Arizona Voter Information Portal to make sure all of your information is up-to-date.
When it comes to voting, you have two options: You can vote by mail or vote in person. Here’s what you need to know about both ways of casting your ballot.
Voting by mail
All registered Arizona voters have the right to vote by mail—you don’t have to provide a reason. You can either sign up to be on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) to receive all ballots by mail for future elections, or request a one-time ballot by mail.
To register as a vote-by-mail or one-time absentee voter, you have several options:
- Join the AEVL by Friday, Oct. 23.
- If you have a valid Arizona ID, sign up for the AEVL using this online form.
- Or, you can print and complete the AEVL request form and return it in person or by mail, fax, or email to your local county recorder’s office.
- Request a one-time early ballot by Friday, Oct. 23:
- Request your one-time ballot-by-mail online by filling out this form.
- Or, you print and complete the ballot request form and return it in person or by mail, fax, or email to your local county recorder’s office. This is the same form as the AEVL request form, but it gives you the option to only request a ballot for a single election.
- You can also call your local county recorder’s office and request a ballot-by-mail by providing your name, address, date of birth, and other identifying information.
To submit your completed ballot, drop it in the mail by Oct. 27. Postage is prepaid, so you don’t need to add a stamp.
You can also take your early ballot to a voting center or dropbox near you by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
When a ballot is dropped off, election workers have to verify its signature before counting it, which can be a time-consuming process. Arizona is now offering voters the option to wait in line and show their ID when dropping off a ballot so it can be counted faster.
You can check to see the status of your ballot and make sure it was received here.
Voting in person
If you’d rather not deal with the mail, you can head to the polls to vote in person. You can vote early in person from Oct. 7-30. Find where to vote and the hours of locations here.
You can also wait to vote on Election Day, Nov. 3, but be aware that there may be longer lines. All voting locations will be open that day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. As long as you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote.
To vote in person, you must provide an accepted form of ID. Once you receive your ballot, you’ll take it into a voting booth, completely fill out each bubble, then turn it back in to be counted.
Then it’s time to be proud of your contribution—on your way out, you’ll get that coveted “I Voted” sticker!
