How to Register, Vote and Track Your Ballot in Arizona

En español | Most Arizonans vote by mail, but voting early in person is also an option. A law taking effect in 2023 requires voters to share proof of citizenship to cast ballots by mail or vote in presidential elections. It is being challenged in court.

The 2022 midterms decided races for governor, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, state legislature and other statewide offices. The next statewide elections are in 2024, although there are some local elections in 2023.

• Upcoming elections: Find information about upcoming elections on the secretary of state’s website when it becomes available. 

• Mail-in voting: Voters do not need an excuse to request a ballot by mail and vote from home. Most Arizonans choose this option.

• Early in-person voting: Each county offers different early in-person voting options. Contact your county recorder for more information.

• Voting at the polls: You must show ID to vote at the polls on Election Day — either a photo ID or two other forms of identification, such as a utility bill and bank statement.
  

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• A law taking effect in January 2023 requires all voters to provide proof of citizenship (including place of birth) and proof of residency when registering. Those who do not share documents proving citizenship can still register as a federal-only voter, but they’ll no longer be allowed to vote in presidential elections or vote early by mail. The law is being challenged in court.

• Arizonans can be removed from the Active Early Voting List, the list of voters who are automatically sent a ballot by mail, if they fail to vote by mail in at least one election over four years (starting after the 2022 election), unless they respond to an official notice.
  

• Voters whose mail-in ballots are missing a signature have only until 7 p.m. on Election Day to fix their ballots and have them counted. State law requires election officials to make reasonable efforts to contact affected voters. 
  

• A redistricting plan changed the boundaries of some state legislative and U.S. congressional districts and may affect which candidates appear on your ballot.

• Online: Use the Service Arizona Voter Registration Portal to register, check your registration status or change your party affiliation.

• By mail: Print out a form online or request that a registration form be mailed to you from your county recorder's office. After completing the voter registration form, mail it back to your county recorder.

• In person: Visit your county recorder’s office. Alternatively, you can register at motor vehicle division (MVD) offices, state public assistance and disability agencies (including the Family Assistance Administration, Health Care Cost Containment System, Department of Health Services, Department of Economic Security, Developmental Disabilities Division, plus more), armed forces recruiting centers and libraries.

The deadline to register is 29 days before Election Day. If that falls on a weekend or state holiday, the deadline will be extended to the next business day. Use the Arizona Voter Information Portal to check your registration status.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses or stalking, you can meet with a registered application assistant to see if you qualify as an ACP (address confidentiality program) protected voter, which ensures your real address does not appear on any public registered voter lists. Participants are strongly encouraged not to register to vote through any other process other than through the ACP. Call 602-542-1653 for assistance.   

A law taking effect in January 2023 requires all newly registering Arizonans to provide proof of citizenship and proof of residency to be a full ballot voter, meaning they are eligible to cast ballots in all federal, state, county and local elections. Those who don’t show proof of citizenship can still register as a federal-only voter, but will no longer be able to receive a ballot by mail or vote in presidential elections. The law is being challenged in court. 

Acceptable proof can be a state driver’s license or state-issued ID number, if the motor vehicles department has proof of citizenship on file for you. For a full list of acceptable documentation, visit the secretary of state’s website.

Most voters who are already registered won’t need to provide the required ID retroactively. However, if you’re registered as a federal-only voter, you must share proof of citizenship to continue voting in presidential elections or casting a ballot by mail.

Yes. Voters registered with a state-recognized party (Republican, Democrat or Libertarian) can only vote in that party’s primary. Voters who are not affiliated with a party can request a ballot to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary, except in presidential primaries. The Libertarian Party does not allow unaffiliated voters to participate in its primaries

Any registered voter can request a ballot by mail and vote from home. In fact, most Arizonans vote by mail.

Registered voters can receive a ballot by mail by signing up to be on the Active Early Voting List (previously called the Permanent Early Voting List) — which means you will be sent a ballot by mail for all elections in which you are eligible to vote.

You can sign up for the Active Early Voting List when you register to vote. Or, if you’re already registered, you can sign up:

• Online: Visit Service Arizona’s Voter Registration portal and update your voter registration to join the Active Early Voting List.

• By mail: Print, complete and sign the Active Early Voting List request form, then mail, fax or email a scanned copy or photo of the completed form to your county recorder's office. If you do not have a printer, write out the required information from the request form, sign the document that you wrote, then mail, fax or email a scanned copy or photo of your handwritten request instead.

You can be removed from the list if you fail to vote by mail in at least one election over four years, beginning with the 2023 elections. Before your name is removed, you’ll be notified and will have 90 days to respond in writing and confirm your desire to remain on the list.


Alternatively, you can request a one-time ballot:

• Online: via the secretary of state’s online portal.

• By phone: Call your county recorder's office. You must provide your name, date of birth, residence address and other identifying information.

• By mail: Print, complete and sign the ballot-by-mail request form, then mail, fax or email a scanned copy or photo of the completed form to your county recorder's office. If you don't have a printer, write out the required information from the request form, sign the document that you wrote, then mail, fax or email a scanned copy or photo of your handwritten request instead.

• By email: Email your county recorder's office with the information outlined on the state’s Vote by Mail webpage under the subtitle “Option 4: send an email to your county recorder.”

Once you’ve completed the ballot, you can return it:

• By mail: Use the prepaid envelope included in your ballot-by-mail package. The state recommends mailing it seven days before Election Day to ensure it reaches your county election officials on time.

• In person: Drop off your ballot at any ballot drop box, drop-off location, early voting site or Election Day polling location in your county. If you return your ballot by mail on Election Day, you can skip the lines and turn it in at any polling location within your county. Poll workers will show you where to drop off your ballot. Find all voting and drop-off locations on your county government’s website.

Whether you mail or drop off your completed ballot, all must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Yes. Every ballot-by-mail affidavit envelope includes a unique identifier to allow voters and election officials to track it after it arrives at the county recorder’s office. Counties have processes that prevent voters from voting twice. Visit My.Arizona.Vote to check your ballot’s status.

Voters in Maricopa County can also receive automatic updates on their ballot-by-mail status via text message. Simply text the word "JOIN" to 628-683 or visit TextSignUp.Maricopa.Vote to subscribe.

Each county in Arizona has different in-person early voting options, starting as early as 27 days before Election Day and running through 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Contact or visit the website of your county recorder for more information.

Voters are required to present sufficient identification to vote early in-person.

You can locate your assigned polling place through the state’s Voter Information Portal or by contacting your county recorder's office.

If you have been issued a ballot by mail but decide to vote at the polls on Election Day, you may be directed to vote with a provisional ballot. You must affirm you have not already voted and will not submit your ballot by mail, or you must surrender the ballot by mail to the poll worker.

If you're in line when the polls close, you'll be allowed to vote.

A provisional ballot is given to voters at an in-person voting location if they are unable to provide a valid form of identification or are not on the polling location’s roster. This could occur if you recently moved and did not update your voter information in time, if you requested an early ballot by mail or if your voter registration is not active.

Your provisional ballot will be valid and counted as long as you provide valid identification to your polling location before 7 p.m. on Election Day or to your county recorder's office by 5 p.m. on the fifth business day after the election.

Note that members of federally recognized tribes are not required to have an address or photo on their tribal identification in order to cast a provisional ballot.

Each polling location will provide parking for people with disabilities and will be able to accommodate people in wheelchairs as well as those with visual or hearing impairments. All voting locations must have an accessible voting device and poll workers who are trained to assist people with disabilities. 

Curbside voting is available at many voting locations for voters who are unable to enter the polling location or voting center. Just ask that a ballot be brought to you by a poll worker.

If you're unable to sign or fully complete election materials, you may be assisted by a third party of your choice (excluding your employer, your union representative or a candidate appearing on the ballot). If you need help completing a mail ballot, the ballot affidavit contains a section to designate your assistant’s name and address. On Election Day, you can request assistance from either an assistant of your choice or members of the election board who are present at your polling place. In this situation, two board members of different political parties will assist.

Yes. When you arrive to vote at an early voting location, an emergency vote center or at the polls on Election Day, you must announce your name and place of residence to the election official and present one form of photo identification from List 1, such as a valid Arizona driver license, nonoperating ID card or tribal enrollment card; or two different forms of identification from List 2 or List 3, such as a recent utility bill or bank statement, valid Arizona vehicle registration or Indian census card.

If you are unable to provide a valid form of identification, or if you are not on the polling location’s roster, you can still vote a provisional ballot (see above).

Note that a law taking effect in January 2023 requires people who have registered as federal-only voters to provide proof of citizenship if they wish to cast ballots by mail or vote in presidential elections. This applies to both new voters and those who are already registered. The law is being challenged in court.

Editor’s note: This guide was updated on Jan. 5, 2023, with information about how to vote in Arizona.

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