Last week, I had a text conversation with a young Mexican-American woman friend. We were discussing the election and how exciting it is that Arizona is a battleground state. I asked her if she had voted yet, and she replied that she had not and would have to stand in line on election day, because she didn’t request a mail ballot. She was dreading a repeat of the long lines she and many residents of Maricopa County stood in when the primary election was held last spring.
Like many Arizona residents, my young friend was unaware that, in addition to the widely used mail-in early ballot, Arizonans can do in-person early voting. I told her about it and quickly sent her the link for our county’s early voting sites. There is an early polling place a few blocks from her work. On Friday she went after work and voted a straight democratic ticket.
Early in-person voting started on October the 12, and it ends this Friday, November 4th. County Recorders in Arizona are responsible for election administration, and in-person early voting is available at all fifteen County Recorders offices in the state. Additionally, a majority of counties offer early voting at satellite sites, including the state’s largest; Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal. Those three counties accounted for 78.9% of the statewide vote in the 2012 election.
In person early voting can be difficult to impossible for Arizona’s rural residents. But for the more urban and suburban areas it is doable. Please encourage every democratic voting Arizona resident you know, who hasn’t received a mail ballot, to in-person early vote if it’s at all possible. (And encourage them to vote for Kirkpatrick and kick McCain to the curb next to Trump!) Their vote will be in and they don’t have to worry that illness, a family or work emergency, or long election day lines will prevent them from voting on election day.
For those who still have outstanding mail ballots, they must arrive at their respective county Recorder’s office by 7 pm on Tuesday, November 8th to be counted!!! On NPR this week, a county recorder (I think it was Helen Purcell of Maricopa) strongly suggested that ballots be mailed by this Tuesday, November 1st, to ensure they arrive on time.
Arizona requires a valid photo ID to vote on election day. On the Navajo county early voting webpage, it states that IDs aren’t required for early voting. I could not verify this on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website. So please make sure you arrive with proper ID.
Arizona Voter ID Requirements: recorder.maricopa.gov/...
Below is a list of links to early voting sites in each county. They are listed from largest to smallest according to the number of registered voters in 2012.
***Please note, you MUST vote in the county you are registered in.
Maricopa County (Phoenix metro area)
***Polling place on site at Arizona State University main campus in Tempe.
recorder.maricopa.gov/...
Pima County (Tucson metro area)
***Polling place on site at University of Arizona main campus in Tucson.
www.recorder.pima.gov/...
Pinal County (Apache Junction, Florence, Casa Grande)
www.pinalcountyaz.gov/...
Yavapai County (Prescott, Cottonwood)
Click on the “How do I vote early or request a mail ballot?”
www.yavapai.us/...
Mojave County (Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City)
www.mohavecounty.us/...
Cochise County (Bisbee)
www.cochise.az.gov/...
Yuma County (Yuma)
Early voting at the county elections department.
www.yumacountyaz.gov/...
Coconino County (Flagstaff, Sedona, Tuba City, Williams)
coconino.az.gov/...
Navajo County (Holbrook, Show Low, Whiteriver, Kayenta)
www.navajocountyaz.gov/...
Apache County (St. Johns, Chinle, Fort Defiance)
www.co.apache.az.us/...
Gila County (Globe, Payson)
www.gilacountyaz.gov/...
Santa Cruz County (Nogales)
www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/...
Graham County (Safford)
Early voting at the County Elections Dept.
www.graham.az.gov/...
La Paz County (Parker, Quartzsite)
Elections Dept.
1108 Joshua Ave
Parker, AZ 85344 (928) 669-6149
Greenlee County (Clifton)
Early voting at county elections department.
www.co.greenlee.az.us/...