What you need to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election in Arizona
Update! Voter registration is now open through October 15.
Para Español, haga clic aquí: Qué es necesario en Arizona para votar en las elecciones presidenciales de 2020
Please consider passing this information on to others through your social media contacts, as well as to family and other members of your community who could benefit. Be proactive! Help your friends and family to register and vote. Historically, twice as many seniors vote as young people - so get out there, bring friends, and determine your own future rather than letting others determine it for you.
Before we get to more detailed instructions below, here are some important things to know:
You can legally register to vote in Arizona if you are student from out-of-state, even if you have already registered in your home state. You can only vote in one place. You must have resided here for at least 29 days at some point before the election, but you can register here and vote even if you are out of state now.
Important deadlines:
(i) You must register by October 15 to participate in this election.
(ii) Anyone can use a mail-in ballot in Arizona (and in fact, most ballots in Arizona elections are submitted via mail). You can return your mail-in ballot starting on October 7. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is October 23. If you plan to vote by mail, you should request your mail-in ballot now.
(iii) If you use a mail-in ballot, post it as soon after October 7 as possible. If your ballot is received early and there is a problem, a county official will contact you to give you the chance to fix it. Your ballot will not count if it is not received by the end of November 3 - so mail it early so that it has plenty of time to get there.
(iv) The election is on Tuesday November 3.
(v) You can also vote in person before Election Day, from Wednesday, October 7 to Friday, October 30. The list of early voting locations and hours can be found at https://recorderwebpublicalt.recorder.pima.gov:38822/EarlyVotingSites. Click on ‘Election Information’ and choose ‘Early Voting Sites’.
(vi) Misinformation about who can vote, how to vote, when to vote is very widespread. Always double-check any information that you get over social media using trusted sources, such as in the links provided in this document.
For example, you may see social media posts claiming that you can’t vote if you’re an out-of-state student, or if you left for the summer, or if you’re currently sheltering at home in another state. These claims are false, and presumably circulated as a way to suppress the student vote. Provided they have resided in the state for at least 29 days prior to the election, current university students are considered residents under the definition of ‘resident’ from the voter registration website https://azsos.gov/elections/voting-election/register-vote-or-update-your-current-voter-information
A resident is an individual who has an actual physical presence in the state and the intent to remain in the state. A temporary absence does not result in a loss of residence if the individual intends to return.
Registering to vote, or updating your voter registration
If you DO have an Arizona Drivers License or State-issued ID card
Fill out the form on the online voter registration website – then you’re done: https://servicearizona.com/VoterRegistration
At this website, you can
(i) register to vote for the first time.
(ii) check the status of your voter registration. If you think you are registered already, you should double-check your registration status here to make sure it’s still valid.
(iii) update personal information in your registration. Update your registration if:
a. you have changed your local address
b. you have changed your name
If you DO NOT have an Arizona Drivers License or State-issued ID card
If you don’t have an Arizona drivers license or state ID card, you can download, print, fill out and mail back a hard-copy of the registration form yourself: https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/20200417_AZ_Voter_Registration_Form_Printable.pdf
Put the last 4 digits of your social security number on the registration form, and leave the spaces for the other forms of the ID blank (see the instructions at the top of the form).
You will need to include a photocopy of a document showing proof of citizenship when you mail back your registration form. For a list of acceptable documents, see the information at the end of this document, which is copied directly from the last page of the voter registration form. For most people, this will be a copy of a birth certificate or a copy of the personal-information page of a passport. If you don’t have (or don’t have time to find) documents proving citizenship, you can still register by filling out the online registration site above just using the last four digits of your social security number. In this case, you will get a ballot with only federal races (i.e, the presidency), not local and state races. This is still worth it!
When you sign your voter registration form, make sure you use your normal signature style - and then when you sign your ballot use this same signature style. If the two signatures look too different, your ballot may not be accepted. Fortunately if your ballot has a problem like this and there is still time before the election, you will be contacted to give you a chance to fix it.
To help you register, you can also seek out a voter registration table or volunteer on campus or anywhere else. To learn more see the websites below.
https://www.azcleanelections.gov/
https://www.campusvoteproject.org/stateguides/arizona
https://azsos.gov/elections/voting-election/register-vote-or-update-your-current-voter-information
Obtaining a mail-in ballot
You can request a ballot online, by phone (Pima County Recorder is at 520-724-4330) or by mail and it is very easy. On the form you will provide information including the address at which you are registered. Important: you can have them send the mail-in ballot to the address where you currently are, not just the address you are registered at. If you are registered in another jurisdiction in Arizona (e.g., Phoenix) and you are in Tucson, you should request a mail-in ballot to be sent to your current Tucson address. To request a ballot, go to this website: https://www.recorder.pima.gov/BallotByMailRequest
You can (and should) request a ballot right now, but you must do so by October 23 if you want to vote by mail. Remember – even if you requested and got a mail-in ballot, you can still vote in person.
The process of voting
Using a mail-in ballot
If you are voting with a mail-in ballot, make sure to follow the directions carefully. Do not forget to sign the envelope and provide your day-time phone number where indicated. Use your standard signature – this will be compared to your signature on file. You should send your ballot in as soon as you are comfortable with your choices. If you have made an error (such as you forgot to sign the ballot envelope, or your signature doesn’t match what they have on file from your registration), someone will contact you to give you a chance to fix the problem. If your ballot is received too close to Election Day, there may not be time for this.
Do not use a postage stamp - the postage is pre-paid on the envelope. If you use a stamp, it may take longer for your ballot to arrive.
If you forgot to mail in your ballot and it is close enough to Nov 3 that you worry that it won’t get there in time, you can drop off your mail-in ballot at any Pima County polling place on election day. You may also drop off your ballot at the Pima County Recorder located downtown in the Pima County Public Services Building at 240 N. Stone Avenue, 85701.
Once you’ve sent in your ballot, you can track its progress at recorder.pima.gov; click ‘Ballot by Mail Status’.
Voting in person
If you plan to vote in person on Nov 3, you can find your polling place at: http://web1.pima.gov/Elections/polling-locator/
Polls are open from 6 am to 7 pm. If you are in line before 7 pm, you can vote even if you get to the polling station after 7.
You can also vote in person early, from Oct 7 to Oct 30. The list of early voting locations and hours can be found at https://recorderwebpublicalt.recorder.pima.gov:38822/EarlyVotingSites. Click on ‘Election Information’ and choose ‘Early Voting Sites’.
If you vote in person, you are required to provide a valid form of identification, as well as proof that you reside at your address of registration. If you have an AZ drivers license or state ID with your registration address on it, that’s all you need. If you have a state or federal issued ID (like a drivers license from any state, or a passport) that doesn’t have your registration address on it, you need to also bring evidence that you live at your registration address. Easy forms of evidence are a utility or phone bill, or bank statement. Go to this website for a complete list of possible forms of identification https://www.azcleanelections.gov/how-to-vote/id-at-the-polls-list
If you are unsure if the documents you have are sufficient or if you have any other questions, call the Pima County Recorder at 520-724-4330. They are very helpful.
Learning more about the races and propositions
For all of us, there are races or propositions on every ballot that are unfamiliar. Experienced voters look for advice on how to vote on unfamiliar races and propositions from institutions they trust. For example, the Arizona Daily Star, the Daily Wildcat, and the Tucson Weekly often publish voting guides and recommendations in the weeks before an election. ProPublica and The League of Women Voters provide detailed information on races and propositions in your local and state-level government races: https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/users-guide-to-democracy
Be careful and take the time to choose your sources of guidance carefully: information that comes through social media or from a road sign may be incorrect, or even intentionally misleading. Trustworthy sources tend to be organizations with a long history in the community.
If you find errors in this document or would like to suggest additional information, please contact Andy Wedel at andybenwedel@gmail.com
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENT To be eligible to vote a “full ballot,” you must submit proof of citizenship with your registration form or by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before Election Day. A “full ballot” includes all federal, state, county, and local races and ballot questions for which you are eligible to vote. If you do not submit proof of citizenship and we cannot acquire your proof of citizenship from the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division or the statewide voter registration database, you will receive a “federal-only” ballot, which has only federal races and no state, county, or local races or initiatives/referendums. You don’t need to resubmit proof of citizenship if you previously registered to vote in Arizona and submitted citizenship proof, and are using this form to update your name, party affiliation, or address after moving within the state.
VALID FORMS OF PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP If you have an Arizona driver’s license or non-operating license issued after October 1, 1996, write the number in Box 9. This will serve as proof of citizenship and no additional documents are needed. However, if your license was issued when you were not a U.S. citizen but you later became a U.S. citizen, complete Box 11 or provide another form of proof of citizenship.
Other acceptable proof of citizenship (only one is needed):
• Legible copy of a birth certificate that verifies citizenship. If the name on the birth certificate is not the same as your current legal name, submit supporting documents (e.g. marriage certificate).
• Legible copy of the pertinent pages of your passport
• Presentation to the County Recorder of U.S. naturalization documents, or Alien Registration Number, Naturalization Certificate Number, or Citizenship Certificate Number (Box 11)
• Indian Census Number, Bureau of Indian Affairs Number, Tribal Treaty Card Number, or Tribal Enrollment Number (Box 10)
• Legible copy of your Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or Tribal or Bureau of Indian Affairs Affidavit of Birth
Do not send original documents. Make a printed copy of proof of citizenship and mail it with your completed registration form to your County Recorder. Visit www.azsos.gov if you have questions about proof of citizenship.