Arizona election officials prepare for election season as primary approaches

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — If you’re planning to vote in next month’s Presidential Preference Election and you’re not registered yet, time is running out. The last day to register for the Presidential Preference Election is Tuesday, Feb. 20.

The last time there was a Presidential Preference Election in Arizona, it was only for registered democrats in 2020, when 1.25 million people cast their ballots.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission is gearing up for a busy next several months. “This is a big year for elections in Arizona,” said CCEC Executive Director Tom Collins.

For the Presidential Preference Election only, voters must be registered as either a Democrat or Republican to vote in that party’s primary for president.

“Because it’s a selection of delegates for the party nominating convention as opposed to an election of a nominee or a candidate for office (the legislature) determined that it would be the better policy to have the folks in that party be the folks who choose how Arizona’s delegates are sent to the convention,” explained Collins.

Arizona’s elections came into the national spotlight after the governor’s race in 2022. With another major election year on the doorstep that will have high-profile races, Collins is confident the state is ready.

“Number one, making sure that voters know there are resources available if they have questions, there are people standing by to answer those questions,” he says. “At the same time, election officials are always busy and vigilant making sure that our election systems, our election processes are secure and fair.”

The last day to register for the general election is on Oct. 7. Click here to register to vote in Arizona.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.