In case you didn’t know, tomorrow is the last recommended day to mail back your ballot for the Nov. 3 election.

I dropped mine in the mail earlier this month before I left for a trip. 

Placing my early ballot in the mail before I left town. (Jessica Swarner/The Copper Courier)

I’m signed up for ballot-tracking alerts, so I received an email when my ballot was received and counted. 

I love that this system exists so that I don’t have to worry whether my ballot made it in time or if there was an issue with verifying my signature. If you want to see your early ballot’s status, check the tracker here. 

And if you have other questions about voting, check out our first-timer’s guide—even if you’ve voted before, it’s a good refresher!

Falling prices aren’t making metro Phoenix condominiums more affordable as rising HOA fees, insurance costs and mortgage rates squeeze buyers and owners.

It takes a lot of time to stay on top of the news, so here’s a quick roundup of stories about renting and living in Phoenix.

Looking to meet new people and build community? Start with these Phoenix neighborhood events this month.

Here are some of the biggest Arizona events this weekend, from Dia de los Muertos celebrations to a hot air balloon festival.

If you have an early ballot at home, mail it back by tomorrow, Oct. 27, or drop it off at a dropbox or voting center by Nov. 3. Make sure to sign and date your ballot envelope!

Proposition 144, which would add ID requirements for mail-in ballots, has voting rights advocates concerned. 

From our reporter Kyle Sekenski’s story:

“Republicans originally pushed for mail-in voting in Arizona in 1991. Since Trump’s evidence-free fraud claims around the 2020 election, some state Republicans have tried to dismantle the system—leading to the state legislature placing Prop. 144 on the ballot as a constitutional amendment to overhaul mail-in requirements.”

An election worker sorts ballots, Oct. 21, 2020, at the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

“Alex Gulotta, Arizona’s director for All Voting Is Local, said that the measure is seen as a backdoor way of attacking mail-in voting.

“’They don’t expressly say “We’re trying to do away with mail-in voting,” because the voters would vote that down, and they know it,’ Gulotta said. ‘So they’re trying to create barriers that will make mail-in voting unreliable because they don’t want to have the people’s voices heard in this way.’

“… According to Gulotta, Arizona has done an effective job of encouraging voter turnout by increasing the number of ways people can vote, and Prop. 144 would limit that access.”

What do you think abut Prop 144? Check out Kyle’s story and let me know, and I’ll include some responses in Wednesday’s newsletter!

⚾️ The Savannah Bananas are coming to Chase Field for the first time in 2027. The lottery for tickets is open through Oct. 31. (KTAR)

🦇 Looking to get in the spooky spirit? Here’s a list of haunted houses and Halloween parties in Tucson. (The Daily Wildcat)

📣 A Glendale 9-year-old has to leave school to undergo a bone marrow transplant—so his school threw him a pep rally to show their support. (ABC 15)

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Jessica Swarner with stories from Kyle Sekenski, Sahara Sajjadi, Martin Nieves Sanchez, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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