All the Arizonans That Are Early and Mail-in Voting This Year

Everyone from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to Lynda Carter is voting early this year.

This election cycle more voters than ever are participating in the democratic process by voting by mail due to the pandemic. 

The deadline for registered voters in Arizona to request a ballot-by-mail is 5 p.m. on October 23. Voters can ask for a ballot-by-mail just for the 2020 elections, or they can sign up for the PEVL (Permanent Early Voter List). 

About 75% of registered voters in Arizona are on the PEVL. 

Arizona has a proud history of secure and reliable voting by mail, according to State of Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Mail-in voting in Arizona began in 1918. 

In fact, the majority of Arizonans have voted by mail in past elections. This allows voters to fill out their ballot in their homes and safely mail it back by dropping it off at any drop-box or voting location. You can find the location in your county here. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends Arizonans participate in early voting and voting-by-mail. 

Although Rep. Tom O’Halleran, who represents Arizona’s 1st District, recently told Cronkite News that he worries about election security and potential problems with mail-in ballots, he simultaneously noted that Arizona has successfully voted by mail for a long time. 

He said, “My only suggestion, to everybody, is if you know who you’re going to vote for, get it in.”

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema also showed her support of mail-in voting by sharing a video where she’s putting her ballot back in her mailbox to be taken by the USPS to be counted.

Sen. Sinema reminds Arizonans of just how easy it is to vote by mail by breaking it down into three easy steps:

1. Request your ballot (if you’re not already on the Permanent Early Voting List)

2. Fill it out

3. Return it by mail (no later than Tuesday, October 27) or in person

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs herself voiced her support for mail-in voting by showing a screenshot of her notification from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office that her ballot had received. 

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero urged her Twitter followers not to wait, and to plan their vote today, including a link where Arizonans can register to vote by mail. 

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego joined over 170 mayors in late August supporting legislative action to underscore the importance of the Postal Service so that we can maintain the integrity of our elections through a robust vote-by-mail system.

Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s pinned tweet is a video of himself promoting the hashtag #DontMessWithUSPS, saying the USPS will play a critical role in ensuring all Americans can safely vote this election cycle.

There is also beloved activist and United Farm Workers Co-Founder Dolores Huerta, who shared a message from her eponymous foundation encouraging people to vote early by mailing their ballots because “time is ticking” and voting early is crucial during uncertain times.”

And how’s this for a celebrity push for Arizonans to vote? Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in a television series in the late-70s, promotes voter turnout complete with her signature Wonder Woman pose while wearing a blue and white mask that reads: VOTE. 

Secretary of State Hobbs told The Arizona Republic that the number of voters this election cycle so far outpaces the election in 2016. 

Maricopa County Elections Department spokeswoman Megan Gilbertson also told the Republic, “We are seeing across-the-board interest and participation.” As of October 14, Hobbs office has received about 22,000 ballots from the 13 counties that use the state’s election system. Maricopa and Pima Counties have their own election systems and are therefore not included in this number. 

Registered voters in Arizona can request a ballot-by-mail until 5 p.m. on October 23 here.