2024 Arizona General Election voter guide: Here's what to know before you vote

PHOENIX – Learn how to register to vote, find election dates and deadlines, the candidates, polling station locations, voting by mail safety, what to bring to the polls, and how to track your early ballot’s status.

When is the general election for Arizona?

Per the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, 2024’s general election will take place on November 5.

Why did they set November 5 as Election Day for 2024?

The date of the election is governed by Arizona law.

Under state law, presidential electors are to be selected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 1956, and every four years thereafter.

“On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1956, and quadrennially thereafter, there shall be elected a number of presidential electors equal to the number of United States senators and representatives in Congress from this state,” read the state law.

A different section of state law also sets the same day for congressional, state, and county elections.

For 2024, this means the election will be held on November 5, as November 4 is the first Monday of the month.

What offices are on the ballot?

A number of offices are on the ballot, including:

• The U.S. Presidency
• A U.S. Senate seat
• All of Arizona’s nine congressional seats
• State Senators (1 per district)
• State Representatives (2 per district)
• Corporation Commission (3 seats)
• Retention of 2 Arizona Supreme Court justices
• Retention of four Court of Appeals judges

Voters will also vote on a number of ballot proposition measures.

Election officials have noted the length of this year’s ballot: per the Associated Press, eight of the state’s 15 counties will use two-page ballots, citing a spokesperson for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

The exact length will vary even in a single county because the ballots also incorporate local contests. Maricopa County’s ballot alone will average 79 contests for local, state and federal races, as well as statewide ballot propositions.

What happened after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race?

President Joe Biden, who won Arizona’s Democratic Presidential Preference Election in March and was the party’s presumptive nominee, announced his decision to withdraw from the race on July 21, 2024.

On the same day President Biden withdrew from the race, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement. Ultimately, Harris was nominated, and she formally accepted her nomination during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The list of general election candidates on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website clearly shows Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as the Democratic Party presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.

How can I check to see if I am registered to vote?

You can check your voter registration status on Arizona.vote.

Will my political affiliation affect the way I vote?

Unlike the presidential preference election in March and the primary election in July, general elections are open to all registered voters.

What is the election timeline?

Per the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office:

• Oct. 7: Last day to register to vote in the general election
• Oct. 9: Early voting begins. Early ballots will be mailed to voters who are on the Active Early Voting List, as well as voters who requested a one-time ballot by mail.
• Oct. 25: Deadline to request a ballot-by-mail.
• Nov. 1: Early in-person vote deadline
• Nov. 5: General Election Day
• Nov. 10: ID verification deadline (for conditional provisional ballots), as well as deadline for curing of early ballot affidavit signatures
• Nov. 21: Deadline for the Boards of Supervisors in all Arizona counties to canvass returns for the election
• Nov. 25: Official statewide canvassing of the election
• Dec. 17: Arizona’s electoral college meets

Besides the presidential race, who else is running in the election?

Voters wait to cast their ballots on November 8, 2022 in Tucson. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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As we mentioned earlier, a number of federal and statewide races are on the ballot this November. The candidates for these races include:

U.S. Senate

• Christopher Beckett (Independent, write-in)
• David Bozic (“NON”, write-in)
• Ruben Gallego (Democratic)
• Kari Lake (Republican)
• Shawn Petty (“NON”, write-in)
• Jannie Prosser (Republican, write-in)
• Eduardo Quintana (Green)
• Benjamin Rodriguez (US Altogether Party, write-in)
• Steven Sanders, Independent, write-in)
• Sarah Williams (Libertarian, write-in)

The incumbent for this seat, independent Kyrsten Sinema, is not running for re-election.

U.S. House (District 1)

• David Schweikert (Republican, incumbent)
• Amish Shah (Democratic)

U.S. House (District 2)

• David Alexander (Democratic, write-in)
• Eli Crane (Republican, incumbent)
• Richard Ester (Independent, write-in)
• Jonathan Nez (Democratic)
• Charles “Charlie” Holt, Jr. (“NON”, write-in)

U.S. House (District 3)

• Yassamin Ansari (Democratic)
• Alan Aversa (Green)
• Jeff Zink (Republican)

The incumbent for this seat, Ruben Gallego, is running for Senate.

U.S. House (District 4)

• Vincent Beck-Jones (Green)
• Kelly Cooper (Republican)
• Greg Stanton (Democratic, incumbent)

U.S. House (District 5)

• Andy Biggs (Republican, incumbent)
• Katrina Schaffner (Democratic)

U.S. House (District 6)

• Juan Ciscomani (Republican, incumbent)
• Athena Eastwood (Green)
• Kirsten Engel (Democratic)
• Luis Pozzolo (Independent, write-in)

U.S. House (District 7)

• Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. (Republican)
• Raúl M. Grijalva (Democratic, incumbent)

U.S. House (District 8)

• Abraham “Abe” Hamadeh (Republican)
• Gregory Whitten (Democratic)

The incumbent for this seat, Republican Debbie Lesko, is not running for re-election. She is running for a seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

U.S. House (District 9)

• Paul Gosar (Republican, incumbent)
• Quacy Smith (Democratic)

Corporation Commission (3 seats)

• Ylenia Aguilar (Democratic)
• Mike Cease (Green)
• Jonathon Hill (Democratic)
• Nina Luxenberg (Green)
• Rene Lopez (Republican)
• Lea Marquez Peterson (Republican, incumbent)
• Joshua Polacheck (Democratic)
• Rachel Walden (Republican)

Voters will also take part in judicial retention votes, in addition to votes for various ballot propositions and local offices.

In Cottonwood, voters will also decide whether an incumbent city council member will be able to remain in office in a recall election.

What are the ballot propositions on the ballot this November?

A look at a sample two-page ballot that is similar to the one that some voters will vote on during the November 2024 general election in Arizona.

Proposition 133 – Changes to the state’s direct primary election law

Proposition 134 – Changes to the way ballot measures qualify for the ballot

Proposition 135 – Changes to the way a state of emergency works in Arizona

Proposition 136 – Allows a person to contest the constitution of a ballot measure prior to the election

Proposition 137 – Removes defined term in office and regular retention vote for judges and justices in Arizona.

Proposition 138 – Allows tipped employees to be paid up to 25% per hour less than minimum wage, so long as they are paid at least the minimum wage plus $2 per hour, for all hours worked.

Proposition 139 – Enshrines right to abortion in the state constitution

Proposition 140 – Makes a number of changes to elections in Arizona

Proposition 311 – Establishes $250,000 in death benefits to the surviving spouse of children of a first responder killed while on duty as a result of another person’s criminal act, funded by new fee on criminal conviction.

Proposition 312 – Allows property owners to apple a once-per-tax-year refund for “documented, reasonable expenses” incurred to mitigate the effects of a city, town, or county maintaining a public nuisance on the owner’s real property.

Proposition 313 – Requires a person convicted of a Class 2 felony for any child sex trafficking offense to serve the rest of their natural life in prison, with no possibility of release in any form.

Proposition 314 – Also known as the “Secure the Border Act,” the proposition, per an analysis by the state’s Legislative Council, will create criminal penalties against ” a person who is not lawfully present in the United States and who submits false documentation when both applying for public benefits and during the employment eligibility verification process.” It will also make it a Class 2 felony for a person to “knowingly sell fentanyl if the person knows that the drug being sold contains fentanyl, that the fentanyl was not lawfully manufactured or imported into the United States and that the drug caused the death of another person,” in addition to making it illegal, under state law, to enter Arizona from a place other than a lawful port of entry.

Proposition 315 – This measure, if approved, would require a state agency to submit proposed rules to the Office of Economic Opportunity for review, if such rules are expected to “increase regulatory costs in Arizona by more than $100,000 within five years after implementation,” and would require legislative approval for rules that are found to increase regulatory costs in arizona by over $500,000 within five years after the rules are implemented.

Are there any local propositions?

Coconino, Maricopa and Yavapai Counties have ballot measures that are either specific to that county, or to specific areas within those counties.

Coconino County

Proposition 482 –  The measure will, if approved, adjust the state-imposed base expenditure limit of the entire county upward by $7.7 million.

Proposition 484 –  Specific to those living within the Page Hospital District boundaries, the measure will, if approved, authorize the district to continue to levy a secondary property tax on all taxable property within the district in order to provide for the operation and maintenance of Page Hospital.

Proposition 485 – Specific to Tusayan, the measure proposes an “alternative expenditure limitation” for the town as a replacement to the state-imposed limit for the next four years. Tusayan’s town council will determine the amount of the limitation for the fiscal year, after at least one public hearing.

Proposition 487 – Specific to Flagstaff, the measure, if approved, will allow the city to continue to collect its 2% lodging, restaurant, and lounge transaction privilege tax (commonly referred to as a sales tax) for an extended time period from April 1, 2029 to June 30, 2043.

Proposition 488 – Specific to Flagstaff, the measure aims to increase the city’s 0.295% sales tax that is related to public transit to 0.5%, beginning on July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2040.

Maricopa County

Proposition 479 – If approved by Maricopa County voters, the measure will extend the city’s half-cent transportation sales tax for 20 years. 40.5% of the proceeds will be allocated to freeways and state highways within the county, 37% of the proceeds will go towards public transportation, and 22.5% will go towards arterial streets, intersection improvements, and regional transportation infrastructure.

Yavapai County

Proposition 478 – Specific to Prescott, the measure proposes a 0.95% sales tax for public safety purposes within the city. If approved, the new tax will take effect on April 1, 2025, and reduced to (0.75%) by December 31, 2035.

Proposition 479 – The measure would, if approved, adjust the state-imposed base expenditure limit of the entire county upward by $7.9 million.

Proposition 480 – Specific to Cottonwood, the measure seeks voter approval of the city’s General Plan, or their long-range plan for the area’s development.

Proposition 483 – Specific to Sedona, the measure involves the use of a piece of six-acre, city-owned land for the city’s “safe place to park” program through June 30, 2026.

How can I register to vote?

There are a number of ways people can register to vote in the November election, but they need to be done prior to the Oct. 7 deadline.

Details on voter registration can be found on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website.

I’ll be out of town. How and where can I vote?

Arizona.vote states that Official Election Mail cannot be automatically forwarded by the postal service, but a voter may contact their County Recorder and request that their ballot be sent to their temporary address.

Is voting by mail safe?

The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office states that a number of measures are in place to secure the vote-by-mail process, including:

• Tamper-evident envelopes
• Ballot tracking
• Security requirements for ballot drop-off locations and ballot dropboxes
• Signature verification
• Criminal penalties for misconduct

FOX 10’s John Hook also gave us a look at the procedures that are followed when processing mail-in ballots.

Do I need a stamp to send a mail-in ballot back?

Stamps are not needed, per the Secretary of State’s office, because all early ballots come with a postage-paid return envelope.

How can I return my ballot after the mail-in deadline?

If it’s too late to return your ballot by mail, a voter can return the ballot by putting it in a secure ballot drop box, if one exists in their county, or drop it off at any voting location in their county on Election Day.

How can I track my ballot status?

Ballot status can be tracked on Arizona.vote.

When do the polls open on Election Day?

Polling stations will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. (Mountain Standard Time)

You can check out FOX10Phoenix.com for the latest election results after the polls close.

Where can I vote or drop off my ballot?

A list of voting locations in Maricopa County can be found on their Elections Department’s website. Similarly, Pima County officials have made a list of their voting locations available online.

If you live in any other Arizona counties, you can find your voting location on Arizona.vote.

What sort of ID do I need to bring to the polling place?

Per the Maricopa County Elections Department, voters need to bring either one valid government ID that has the voter’s name, photo, and address where they are registered to vote, or two non-photo identifications that have the voter’s name and the address where they are registered to vote, but no photo.

The exact requirements are on the Elections Department’s website.

How do I report voting issues?

If you experience issues while voting, you can file an election complaint with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

“If your complaint requires immediate law enforcement intervention due to a crime in progress or an escalating situation, contact your local police department immediately,” read a portion of the website.

How does the government count my vote?

Depending on when you cast your ballot, the answer will be different.

Early ballots dropped off before Election Day

According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, state law allows county election officials to start counting early ballots immediately after they are received and verified.

“All early and provisional ballots are initially processed by a County Recorder’s Office for signature verification then transferred to the officer in charge of elections for tabulation at a central counting place. Counties can begin tabulation any time after early voting has begun, and most early ballots will be tabulated in the weeks leading up to the election,” a portion of the website reads.

Early ballots dropped off on Election Day

The Secretary of State’s Office says that early ballots they received on Election Day will be counted in the days immediately following the election.

“Remember, all early ballots must go through the signature verification process prior to being tabulated, which takes time,” officials write.

Ballots cast on Election Day

Officials say ballots cast on Election Day will be counted either on-site, or at a central counting location within a county.

“This process varies by county, so please check with your county elections officials to learn more about what you might experience at your polling location,” the website reads.

Is there a way for me to track my early ballot?

You can track the status of your early ballot on Arizona.vote.

Should you be given a provisional ballot for this election, you can track them via a special section of Arizona.vote.

What is the Electoral College?

A congressional aide examines electoral college votes from the State of Maine in the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Per Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute, the presidency is not directly elected by the people: the U.S. Constitution sets forth an election procedure called the electoral college to select a presidential candidate.

The Electoral College procedure was amended via the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and remains valid to this day. It reads:

“The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate.”

It should be noted that under the constitution, the nation’s Vice President is also the President of the Senate.

The constitution also states how many electoral votes a state is entitled to, which is the sum of the state’s congressional seats, as well as the two Senate seats each state has. While states are allotted congressional seats based on their population size, each state can only have two Senators.

Arizona has nine congressional seats, which means the state has 11 electoral votes in this election. All of the state’s 11 electoral votes are awarded to the presidential candidate who received the most votes in Arizona.

Who are the Arizona presidential electors for this election?

The list of general election candidates on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website shows the electors selected by each party.

The electors for each presidential candidate are listed below, in the order listed on the Secretary of State’s list of candidates:

Kamala Harris & Tim Walz (Democratic)

1. Yolanda Bejarano
2. Constance DeLarge
3. Coral Evans
4. Amelia Flores
5. Marisol Garcia
6. Doreen Garlid
7. Adelita Grijalva
8. Molly McGovern
9. Priya Sundareshan
10. Maria Valdez
11. Dora Vasquez

Jill Stein & Butch Ware (Green)

1. Steven Adger
2. Amee Beck-Jones
3. Michael Cease
4. Athena Eastwood
5. Cody Hannah
6. Nina Luxenberg
7. Scott Menor
8. Michael Montano
9. Kira Ogola
10. Eduardo Quintana
11. Jennifer Stefanow

Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat (Libertarian)

1. Howard Blitz
2. Thomas Deaton
3. Katie Dopson
4. Eric Fowler
5. Roman Garcia
6. Nicole Giver
7. Rebekah Massie
8. Michael McFarland
9. Sheila Reid-Shaver
10. Cory Tallman
11. David Hurst Thomas III

Donald Trump and JD Vance (Republican)

1. Abegal Gonzalez
2. Lisa Green
3. Nathan C. Jackson
4. Thomas W. Lewis
5. Dottie Lizer
6. Myron Lizer
7. Steven R. McEwen
8. Belinda Rodriguez
9. Trevor Smith
10. Gina Swoboda
11. Robert L. Swoboda

How are these electors chosen before the election?

Per the National Archives, there are actually very few provisions in the U.S. Constitution on who is qualified to be an elector.

“Article II, section 1, clause 2 provides that no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector. As a historical matter, the 14th Amendment provides that State officials who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or given aid and comfort to its enemies are disqualified from serving as electors. This prohibition relates to the post-Civil War era,” read a portion of the National Archives’ website.

The website also states that each party’s slate of electors are chosen by the party, with different rules depending on the state.

“Generally, the parties either nominate slates of potential electors at their State party conventions, or they chose them by a vote of the party’s central committee. This happens in each State for each party by whatever rules the State party and (sometimes) the national party have for the process,” read a portion of the website. “Political parties often choose individuals for the slate to recognize their service and dedication to that political party. They may be State elected officials, State party leaders, or people in the State who have a personal or political affiliation with their party’s Presidential candidate.”