Voter Registration
There are three ways to register to vote in AZ: when getting a driver’s license, with the Maricopa County Recorder’s office (by mail, in person or online), or at servicearizona.com.
There are two choices you will need to make when registering to vote.
- Do you want to get an early ballot and vote by mail?
All voters can participate in this option but it must be actively selected on the voter registration form. Once done, voters will receive a ballot by mail approximately three weeks before an election. - Do you want to establish a party preference?
Voters who DO NOT declare a party preference must understand that they cannot vote in a primary without formally requesting a specific party’s ballot EACH TIME they wish to vote in a primary election. If a voter fails to select a party preference, the voter will not automatically receive an early ballot for a primary election. Voters with no party preference also cannot vote in Presidential Preference Elections (PPE), which is Arizona’s title for presidential primary elections.
How to vote by mail
When voting by mail, the completed ballot must be placed in the return envelope and THE ENVELOPE MUST BE SIGNED. Unsigned ballots will not be counted. The ballot can then be mailed – postage free – to the county recorder’s office. Ballots must be mailed no later than 7 days prior to election day. Early ballots may also be dropped of at vote centers and on election day at any voting location.
Track your mail-in ballot!
Voters often wonder about whether their mail-in ballots make it back to the County Recorder’s Office. This is one reason for the extremely high number of ballots being dropped off at polling places. The Recorder’s Office has solved this problem by introducing Ballot Tracking. Using your phone’s messaging app, enter 628-683 into the “To” line and then type “join” into the message line. Hit return/enter and follow the prompts at the bottom of your screen to set up your account. Once you’ve joined, you will receive a text when your ballot is mailed to you, another when it is received back at the Recorder’s Office, and again when your signature is verified and when your vote is counted.
