What you need to know about Arizona’s Primary Election
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona’s Primary Election is upon us. With less than a week away, dozens of Arizona’s Family viewers are asking about their ballots and what to expect if and when they vote in person.
Election Day is on July 30, and the last day to vote early in person is this Friday.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said in the age of election misinformation, you can always contact his office with questions.
“If you see something on the internet that really makes you doubt the whole system, please let us know because often times there is a simple explanation for why something is done one way or sometimes more complicated explanation...” Richer told Arizona’s Family earlier this month.
Election security has been top of mind for Arizona’s most populated county amid concerns stemming from the global Crowdstrike tech outage and the arrest of a temporary elections worker who stole a key fob.
Maricopa County has recently spent over $15 million to update and improve robust election processes and equipment.
What do I need when I show up at my polling location?
When you arrive to vote at the polls on Election Day, you will announce your name and place of residence to the election official. At that point, you will need to present your identification. Click/tap here to see a list of valid photo identification.
Why are there no presidential candidates listed on the ballot?
You actually vote for your preferred presidential candidate in March’s Presidential Preference Election.
The presidential race is not on the primary ballot because it’s a separate decision conducted by each political party.
“Party winners of the Arizona PPE are officially determined at the party’s national convention,” explained the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, a publicly funded group that aims to teach citizens about candidates and necessary candidates.
The July 30 Arizona primary is for narrowing down a field of party candidates. Those candidates can range from senator to sheriff.
Arizona recognizes five official parties: Republican, Democrat, No Labels, Green Party and Libertarian.
Any voter registered as “independent” or “party not designated” can cast a ballot for one of those parties in the state primary.
If you plan to vote in person during early voting or on election day, you need to tell a poll worker which party ballot you want.
Why was I given a “provisional ballot?” Does that mean my vote won’t count?
A provisional ballot is given to anyone who is not on the voting roster or cannot provide a valid form of identification. There are a few reasons why your name was not included on the roster.
Common reasons you’re not on the voting roster
- Recently moved and did not update your voter info in time.
- You voted at a polling place not assigned to you (Exceptions: Maricopa County because voters can vote at any voting center)
- You requested an early ballot.
- Your voter registration is no longer active.
- You are not registered at all.
Provisional ballots are collected with early ballots that were dropped off on Election Day.
County officials must then research and validate each provisional ballot before tabulating votes. This process can take several days.
Do I have to vote for everything that’s on my ballot?
No, you do not have to vote on every single question on the ballot. You can simply leave it blank.
Who can I contact for voting issues or report voter intimidation?
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is authorized to enforce certain civil and criminal violations of Arizona’s election code through its Election Integrity Unit.
The Arizona AG’s office accepts complaints submitted online and mailed to the office. Depending on the nature of the allegations, however, the state AG’s office may refer complaints to another state or local agency for investigation and/or enforcement.
If you have a complaint requiring immediate law enforcement intervention because of a crime in progress or an escalating situation, contact your local police department immediately.
You can submit your complaint online at the Arizona Attorney General’s website.
If you are a victim of voter intimidation, the Secretary of State’s office recommends contacting a poll worker first. Document what you see as much as possible, including the incident’s who, what, when, and where. Remember that taking photos or video is prohibited within 75 feet of a voting location.
You’ll also want to report your experience to the Secretary of State’s office through an online form.
Please also reach out to Arizona’s Family and we’ll start investigating.
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