Not sure how to vote? We’ve compiled all the deadlines, locations and mail-in ballot information for every Arizona county.
With less than six weeks until ballots are mailed to voters for the November election, it’s important voters have all the information they need before casting their votes — like deadlines, locations and polling places.
The majority of Arizonans already vote by mail, according to Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobb’s official Voting By Mail page. Most voters in Arizona already enjoy the convenience of filling out their ballot in the comfort of their home and mailing it back.
Currently, registered voters in Arizona can vote by mail in one of two ways:
Those who are registering to vote for the first time can sign up for the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) while registering, or those already registered can follow the steps below to get their ballot-by-mail. The deadline to register to vote for the November 3 election is October 5.
Although there’s no deadline to join the PEVL, voters must sign up at least 11 days before Election Day to get a ballot-by-mail for the upcoming election.
Voters can also request a ballot-by-mail for just the 2020 elections if they don’t want to sign up for the PEVL.
The Maricopa County Elections Department has a “Where Do I Vote” page with information on how voters can cast their ballots. In-person voting will be available from October 7 — November 3, with location information to be provided in October. Voters can find out if they’re registered, or request a mail-in ballot at BeBallotReady.Vote.
Voting options
The Trump administration is has been accused of attempting to undermine mail-in voting in the upcoming election, with changes to the United States Postal Service resulting in a severe lag in mail delivery.
To prevent delays in ballot deliveries, some election officials across the country are considering bypassing the Postal Service altogether by installing ballot drop boxes in public spaces including libraries and community centers.
These boxes have been successfully used in the past in states like Oregon, Washington and Colorado — all of which rely heavily on mail-in ballots. Now these boxes are being expanded due to the pandemic and, now, due to concerns about the postal service’s ability to carry out its duties efficiently.
State or local authorities in places including Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are asking for more ballot boxes or other drop-off sites that would facilitate ballots reaching election officials without going through the post office.
In fact, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is ordering 70 more ballot boxes — many of which will be used throughout the rural parts of the state. Other counties are reportedly also purchasing extra boxes for collecting ballots.
Delays in delivery
The Postal Service, having cut overtime and late deliveries, began warning states that it can’t guarantee all mail ballots will be received in time to be counted. President Trump has also admitted to blocking Postal Service funding so it would be more difficult to process the expected millions of ballots.
The Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy institute at New York University Law School, has estimated that nearly 11,700 ballot drop-off boxes will be needed for November, at a cost of $82 million to $117 million for purchase and installation.
This year the deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5, 2020, and the deadline to join PEVL or request a mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2020. The recommended deadline for voters to mail back ballots is Oct. 27, 2020.
On Nov. 3, the day of the election, all ballots must be received by 7 p.m.
Due to the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is offering the following Considerations for Election Polling Locations and Voters as guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Find more voting information on the following pages, by county:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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