It’s Election Day and You’ve Still Got Your Ballot. Here’s How to Get Your Vote Counted.

Missed the mail-in deadline? You can still vote this week. 

Note: This article has been updated with information regarding the election on Nov. 3, 2020.

With COVID-19 sickening nearly 250,000 people in Arizona, officials have been encouraging early voting as a way to avoid spreading the disease. 

But if you forgot to request a ballot or drop it in the mailbox last week, there are still ways you can cast your vote for the Nov. 3 general election. 

Here’s how to make your vote count: 

Drop-off Boxes

If you received an early ballot but didn’t mail it, you can still fill it out and return it at any polling center or drop box in your county. 

To find a place to take your ballot, find locations in your county here.

Voters dropping off ballots at polling centers don’t have to wait in line with those who are waiting to vote in person, so the process should be quick and easy.

All ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Tuesday to be counted. 

You can check the status of your ballot at my.arizona.vote. If there is an issue with your ballot or signature, your county recorder’s office will contact you about how to fix it.

In Person

If you don’t have a ballot, or you did receive one but you messed it up, you can head to a polling center on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. 

If you were mailed a ballot but decide you would rather go in person, you can also go to a voting center and your first ballot will be voided. 

Due to the pandemic, some counties are allowing voters to go to any voting center that is convenient, rather than assigning people specific locations. 

Maricopa County will be operating 175 locations on Election Day, which you can find here.

You can also check the list of locations to see approximate wait times and the number of people in line so you can make a safer choice and avoid crowded areas. 

For other counties, check my.arizona.vote to find locations.

If you’re voting in person, as always, you must bring sufficient identification. It’s also recommended that your bring a face mask and a pen, although many locations will have those on hand.

Already in the Mail?

If you haven’t already mailed in your ballot, don’t put it in now—ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Tuesday to be counted and you will miss the cut at this point.

If you have already mailed in your ballot, you can check its status on the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office website to make sure it was received and counted.

Maricopa County residents can get updates on their ballot by email or text message.

If there is an issue with your ballot or signature, your county recorder’s office will contact you about how to fix it.

The General Election

Due to a change in the law, counties were able to start counting early ballots two weeks ago instead of just one week in advance.

However, because some ballots will still be dropped off on Election Day and they must be processed and verified before being counted, counties will not have a final vote count on Tuesday night.

In fact, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has said it may take a few days to call close races because of this delay.

In this election cycle, Arizona has seen a record-breaking turnout of early voters.

Over 2.4 million votes in the state have already been counted, past what that number of votes cast at this time in 2016.

In Maricopa County, 1.6 million ballots have already been processed, with another 200,000-300,000 people expected to come out and vote on Election Day.

The state has a total of 4.28 million registered voters.

Happy voting!