Arizona voters head to the polls today: When, where and how to vote (2024)

PHOENIX — Arizona is already expected to play a critical role in the White House race as it did in 2020, but Tuesday’s state primaries will set the stage for competitive contests that could determine control of the closely divided U.S. Senate, U.S. House and both chambers of the state legislature.

When is the Arizona Primary Election?

Arizona's primary election will be held on Tuesday, July 30. Voting begins at 6 a.m. and will end at 7 p.m. Unlike most of the state, the Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time, so polls there close at 6 p.m. Arizona time, affecting parts of three counties in the 2nd Congressional District.

Where can I go to vote?

If you have any questions about where to cast your ballot, how to vote and what the hours are for your specific polling location, the Arizona Secretary of State website has the contact information for all local election officials here.

Who can vote in the Primary Election?

Registered party members may vote only in their own party’s primary. Independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary.

The most pivotal county in Arizona elections is Maricopa, which is home to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa and contributed more than 60% of the vote in the 2022 governor's race. Pima County was a distant second, just shy of 16% of the vote.

Eight of Arizona’s nine congressional districts include parts of Maricopa County, with the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 8th districts falling within its boundaries. Crane’s 2nd Congressional District contains only a small sliver of Maricopa. Instead, Yavapai, Pinal and Coconino tend to be the decisive counties in that district. Ciscomani’s 6th District is the only congressional seat unaffected by the Maricopa vote. Pima County is the largest source of votes there.

In state House primaries, voters may select up to two candidates, and the AP will declare two winners per contest. The AP will tabulate write-in votes cast in the Republican primary for state House District 29, which may delay determining the winner.

The AP doesn't make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there's no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race hasn't been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, like candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear it hasn't declared a winner and explain why.

In Arizona, recounts are automatic if the vote margin is 0.5% of the total vote or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that's eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

What does turnout, advance vote for the primaries look like?

As of April, there were nearly 4.1 million registered voters in Arizona. Of those, about 35% were Republicans and 29% were Democrats.

In the 2022 midterm primaries, turnout was nearly 13% of registered voters in the Democratic primaries and about 18% in the Republican primaries. Arizona has an “Active Early Voting List” program where participating eligible voters are automatically sent a mail ballot. About 93% of Democratic primary voters and 79% of Republican primary voters cast their ballots before primary day in 2022.

As of Tuesday, nearly 696,000 ballots had been cast ballots before primary day, about 45% in the Democratic primary and about 54% in the Republican primary.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2022 midterm primaries, the AP first reported results at 11:01 p.m. ET, about one minute after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 7:11 a.m. ET with about 77% of total votes counted.

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