Arizona

New law to fix Arizona’s election timeline means changes to your vote. Here’s what to know

Published

2 years ago

February 12, 2024

New law to fix Arizona’s election timeline means changes to your vote. Here’s what to know

Arizona lawmakers passed legislation last week designed to ensure the state’s recently widened recount margin won’t disrupt this year’s elections.

The fix carves out time for election officials to hit key deadlines even if races go to recounts during the upcoming state primary and general elections. Lawmakers said it will ensure military and overseas voters get their ballots for the November election on time and Arizonans’ votes for president count in the national tally.

But the bipartisan election measure includes several provisions that will impact Arizonans at the polls later this year and in election cycles to come. Here’s what to know.

Law changes primary date

The new statute will move the state primary forward this year to buy election officials time to deal with potential recounts.

It was initially scheduled for Aug. 6. The new law moves the election up a week to July 30.

That means other related dates will also be adjusted. The new voter registration deadline will fall on July 1 and ballots will be mailed to early voters on July 3, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

Next year’s primary election will also fall on July 30, per the legislation. After that, it will revert back to the Aug. 6 date unless lawmakers take further action.

Changes for those assisting voters with disabilities

In Arizona, voters who are physically unable to mark their own ballots may be assisted by others to cast their vote.

These assistants have long been required to sign an affidavit on early ballots attesting under the penalty of perjury that they filled out the ballot as the voter instructed.

Under the new law, their signatures will also be checked by election workers in a process called signature verification.

Election officials said the full ramifications of that change weren’t immediately clear. But they said it could mean voting assistants would have to be registered voters themselves.

That could pose future barriers for some voters who need assistance filling out their ballots.

A compressed period to fix missing, mismatched signatures

During the signature verification process, election workers are trained to look at specific characteristics of a signed early ballot envelope and compare them with known samples of a voter’s signature.

If a ballot envelope is missing a signature or staff determine the signature on the envelope does not match previous samples, workers attempt to contact the voter to correct, or “cure,” the issue.

State law currently dictates voters have five business days to cure their ballot after election day. The bill swaps that language to calendar days through 2026, meaning voters will have to move slightly faster in the next few years to fix their signature if their ballot requires curing.

The new law also mandates that county recorders and municipal clerks help voters out by staying open on the weekends immediately before and after the election.

New rules for ballots handed in on election day

Starting in 2026, the new law will change how early ballots handed in on election day are processed.

Those ballots, known as “late earlies,” are currently collected from polling locations and drop boxes once voting ends on election day. Then, they must go through the signature verification process before they can be tallied.

The new statute will allow voters who filled out an early ballot to return it to a polling place on election day, show ID and have their ballot stamped as verified without needing scrutiny of the voter’s signature against past samples.

That means voters dropping off their early ballots on election day could see new lines in polling places during the next midterm election cycle.

Initial results could come quicker, but close races might still take days

Lawmakers hope the new process for “late earlies” could speed up vote tallying.

The provision could help counties get more results out on election night once it takes effect. Still, voters can expect full results to take days because state law dictates a mandatory ballot curing period.

Media can call races with wide margins without knowing full tallies, but closer races may hinge on ballots stuck in the curing process.

The compressed curing period included in the legislation will slightly shorten the wait for those full results in the next few years — but not enough to get tight races called on election night. Plus, it expires in 2027 unless lawmakers take further action.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share on elections or voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

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Arizona

Arizona baseball falls to ASU in midweek nonconference game

Published

5 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Arizona baseball falls to ASU in midweek nonconference game

TEMPE – The Phoenix metro has not been kind to Arizona baseball through the first month of the season.

Arizona fell to rival ASU 10-4 on Tuesday night in front of a packed crowd at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Wildcats clawed back after falling behind 6-1, but the Sun Devils closed the door in the late innings.

The nonconference game was the first of five matchups between the rivals, with the UA hosting a 3-game Big 12 Conference series in early April followed by one more non-league game in Tempe.

Arizona (6-10) is now 0-4 in the Phoenix area, with three losses coming in the opening weekend College Baseball Series in Surprise. Arizona dropped to 0-3 in midweek games.

Collin McKinney got the start for the Wildcats, allowing four earned runs on five hits and six strikeouts. McKinney conceded one run in the first inning but escaped out of a bases loaded jam. He looked sharp until giving up a 2-run homer to ASU’s Dean Toigo in the fourth inning.

“We saw the velocity at times. We saw the breaking stuff,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said. “It was very encouraging from us on our side for him.“

The Sun Devils tacked on three more runs in the fourth, including a 2-run blast from Landon Hairston off reliever Matthew Martinez.

Arizona answered in the sixth inning when sophomore catcher Roman Meyers drilled a 450-feet 3-run homer to bring the score to 6-4. It was Meyers’ third homer of the season.

“He always has a chance. He’s got massive power,” Hale said. “So if he hits it he has a chance for a home run.”

Arizona’s five through nine hitters combined for six of the team’s eight hits, led by 2-hit games from Caleb Danzeisen and Cash Brennan.

Arizona’s offense, however, couldn’t keep up with the Sun Devils, who added runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to pull away. Wildcats pitchers gave up eight free bases on the night.

Arizona is back in action Friday when it begins Big 12 play at Utah. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST.

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Arizona

WATCH: How Helping One Woman provides hope and support with ‘Girl’s Night Out’

Published

17 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

WATCH: How Helping One Woman provides hope and support with ‘Girl’s Night Out’

PEORIA, AZ — What if a simple dinner could help someone rebuild their life? In Peoria, a local chapter of Helping One Woman is doing just that by gathering once a month for a “Girls Night Out” with a powerful purpose.

Each month, women in the community nominate someone facing an unimaginable challenge: the loss of a spouse or child, a cancer diagnosis, or another life-altering hardship. That woman becomes the evening’s honoree.

At the dinner, attendees each contribute at least $10 and take part in raffles supported by local businesses. By the end of the night, the funds raised are gifted directly to the recipient to help with expenses during a difficult time.

But organizers say the money is only part of the impact. The room full of encouragement, hugs, and shared support can be just as powerful.

ABC15’s Cameron Polom talked with the Peoria chapter president and two women whose lives were changed thanks to the group’s generosity. See the full Uplifting Arizona story in the video player above.

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Arizona

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

The NFL’s legal tampering window is officially open, and it didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to get in the mix.

A running list of the new names and familiar faces coming to Arizona in 2026:

New names on Cardinals roster this free agency

Kendrick Bourne

The former San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots wide receiver brings another body to Arizona’s wide receivers room that includes Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.

He’s got plenty of familiarity with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur from their time together in San Francisco (2017-20). Bourne also spent a year with expected Cardinals starter Jacoby Brissett in 2024 with the Patriots.

The wide receiver caught 37 passes for 551 yards in 16 games played (eight starts) last year.

He’s now on board for two years in Arizona.

Isaac Seumalo

The guard spent the past three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a seven-season stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He’s started 104 out of 125 games played and has spent time at both left and right guard during his NFL career.

According to Next Gen Stats, the guard allowed a 3.7% pressure rate last year. That was the lowest rate among all eligible guards in 2025.

Gardner Minshew

Minshew agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Monday.

He’s expected to back up expected starter Jacoby Brissett in 2026, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

Coming off his seventh NFL season and first with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minshew appeared in four games (one start) last year. He completed 46.2% of his throws for 37 yards and an interception.

Before landing with the Chiefs, Minshew spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders (2024), Indianapolis Colts (2023), Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20).

RB Tyler Allgeier

Allgeier comes over to Arizona on a reported two-year contract.

Before agreeing to terms on the $12.25 million deal with Arizona on Monday, Allgeier played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

He ran for 514 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries last year, while adding another 14 catches for 96 yards.

While he worked mostly behind Bijan Robinson the past three years, Allgeier did surpass the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie in 2022.

Familiar faces

L.J. Collier

Collier is back on a one-year deal.

The defensive lineman appeared in four games in 2025 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2.

He recorded six tackles and two QB hits in what was his third season with the team.

Roy Lopez

After a one-year stint with the Detroit Lions, Lopez is back with his hometown team on a reported two-year deal.

In 17 games played last year, he recorded two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

Before his time in Detroit, Lopez spent two seasons with Arizona from 2023-24. During that span, he registered a sack, six tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a forced fumble in 30 games played (21 starts).

K Chad Ryland

Ryland is back on a one-year deal, the team announced.

Ryland went through plenty of struggles last season after a having a career year in 2024. His accuracy dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% last season. He was especially inconsistent from 40 yards and on, compiling a 13-of-20 mark (65%). Inside 40 yards, though, Ryland was 12-of-13 (92.3%).

Arizona brought in kicker Josh Karty late in the year (more on him later), but Ryland never gave up his role and appeared in all 17 games.

A one-year deal isn’t going to break the bank by any means.

P Blake Gillikin

The Cardinals must feel pretty good about where Gillikin is at in his recovering from a back injury last year with their signing of the punter to a one-year deal.

Before he went down five games into the season, the punter was leading the league in yards per punt with 51.7.

Not only that, across his five seasons (65 games) in the NFL, he holds the all-time record for yards per punt at 48.5.

Staying healthy is key for Gillikin, who also missed time in 2024 due to an ankle injury.

RB James Conner

Technically not a free agent, Conner was a potential cut candidate given his contract.

But after reportedly revising his deal, Conner is returning for his sixth season with the Cardinals.

The running back brings plenty of leadership and a bruising running style to the mix.

He’s coming off an abbreviated 2025 (three games) due to an ankle injury but had rushed for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons the two years prior. He scored at least seven rushing touchdowns each season from 2022-24.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Much like Conner, Murphy-Bunting was another prime cut candidate due to his contract but reportedly revised his deal with Arizona as well.

Murphy-Bunting has a lot to prove after missing all of 2025 due to an injury suffered away from the team facility.

In his first season with the Cardinals, the cornerback recorded 52 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles across 15 starts.

Follow @Tdrake4sports

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