Arizona

In Arizona, elections are overseen by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who administers election laws and provides guidance. County election officials are responsible for voter registration, managing polling places, and counting votes at the local level.
Arizona Election System

Frequently Asked Questions

Members of the Pillars of the Community have asked the following questions about Arizona’s election system. Here is what the state says about voting and elections. In future meetings, the Pillars and election officials will continue to discuss and explore these topics in detail.


Is voting by mail reliable?

There are multiple safeguards in place to ensure the security of voting by mail. Mail-in voters are verified via their signatures on the ballot envelope. The system flags any individual’s attempt to vote more than once. Once a mail-in ballot has been returned, voters can view, track and receive real-time updates on the status of their ballot. If that same voter attempts to vote in person, they are forced to vote a provisional ballot so the system can ensure only the mail-in ballot is counted.

What security measures are in place to protect my vote?

Arizona employs multiple layers of security to protect votes:

  • Voter registration databases are secured and continuously monitored.
  • Processes are established in Arizona law to periodically cull the voter rolls of inactive voters and those who have died or moved out of Arizona.
  • State and county elections officials are in regular communication with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and assorted federal authorities regarding cybersecurity and other election-related threats.
  • Certified voting systems are not connected to the Internet to reduce cybersecurity risks.
  • Encryption and other protective technologies are used, and frequent independent assessments are conducted to confirm system integrity.
  • State and county authorities inspect, test and secure tabulation equipment prior to each election.
  • Arizona utilizes paper ballots.

Is it possible for someone to vote more than once?

The voting system in Arizona is designed to detect and prevent duplicate voting. Each voter is issued a unique mail ballot, and the system tracks and flags any attempts to vote more than once.

Can non-citizens vote in elections?

It is illegal for non-U.S. citizens to register to vote. Arizona is the only state in the country with a law requiring proof of U.S. citizenship during the voter registration process.

Why does Arizona allow for “Federal-Only” ballots?

Federal law only requires that voters self-attest to their citizenship status, while Arizona state law requires proof of citizenship. This conflict remains the subject of litigation, but the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in 2024 that Arizonans who attest that they are U.S. citizens but do not further provide documentary proof of citizenship can receive a federal-only ballot that has federal races (President, U.S. Senate and U.S. House).

Are voting machines accurate?

Arizona has a multitude of procedures in place to ensure the accuracy of the vote count. Tabulators are federally and state-certified by the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, Arizona Secretary of State and nationally-accredited Voting System Test Laboratory. Logic & accuracy tests are conducted prior to each election, political parties conduct a statistically-significant hand count during federal elections, and county authorities conduct an accuracy assessment following each election. Tabulation equipment is kept in a secure, restricted area, and machines are not connected to the Internet.

Can voters trust the outcome of Arizona elections?

While no system is perfect, Arizona has multiple layers of safeguards in place to ensure accurate and fair elections.

When are early and mail-in ballots counted?

Early and mail-in ballots are verified and processed upon receipt. Mail-in ballots that are received on Election Day will be verified, processed and tabulated in the days following the election.

Why does it take so long to count votes in Arizona?

It is a misnomer to say election results take longer to receive in Arizona now than in the past. The only difference is Arizona and some of its individual jurisdictions, such as Maricopa County, have become much more narrowly divided and the race outcomes are far closer. Final results tend to take up to a week to process because Arizona allows voters who request a mail-in ballot to drop off those ballots on Election Day. When hundreds of thousands of Arizonans vote in this fashion, it delays final results as these ballots must be fully processed, including undergoing signature verification. In addition, a new state law requires a hand-count reconciliation between the number of ballots received and the number counted on the voting machines before individual polling places can transmit their votes to be counted.

Arizona News & Updates

Arizona Election News

Arizona

Dozens of AZ Community Leaders Sign On To Statement Affirming Trust in Elections

On October 25 and October 27 Pillars of the Community places a full page ad in the Arizona Capitol Times and the Arizona Republic, respectively. Dozens of Arizona community leaders…
October 30, 2024
Arizona

KJZZ: Elvia Díaz: It will take 10-13 days for Arizona to count all its ballots. It’s not a conspiracy

Lauren Gilger of KJZZ interviews Elvia Diaz of the Arizona Republic about the normalcy of it taking 10-13 days to count all Arizona ballots. Election day is drawing nearer. It’s one…
October 29, 2024
Arizona

Fox 10’s John Hook interviews Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg on Pillars and election integrity

Pillars of the Community Co-Chairs Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg spoke with John Hook from Fox 10 Phoenix about election integrity, electoral processes, and Pillars’ efforts to improve trust in…
October 28, 2024
Arizona

Ensuring Election Integrity with Stephen Richer and Lisa Marra

As Arizona prepares for the 2024 elections, officials are prioritizing election integrity and public confidence. Arizona State Election Director Lisa Marra and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer explain…
October 25, 2024
Arizona

NBC: Ballots damaged in USPS mailbox fire in Phoenix

Jane C. Timm and Austin Mullen of NBC report on a USPS mailbox fire that damaged mail-in ballots in Phoenix. A blue U.S. Postal Service mailbox in Phoenix…
October 25, 2024
Arizona

KVOA: Maricopa County Election Officials say they are doing their part to be transparent, prepared ahead of Election Day

Megan Spector and Monica Garcia of KVOA report on how Maricopa county election officials are preparing for Election Day. There are less than two weeks until Election Day; all eyes…
October 24, 2024
Arizona

12 News: Maricopa County election officials say they expect to take 10 to 13 days to tabulate ballots in general election

Colleen Sikora of 12News Reports on Maricopa county election officials warning that it will take them 10 to 13 days after the election to tabulate ballots. The election is two…
October 23, 2024
Arizona

Politico: ‘The center of the storm’: Arizona’s election chief prepares for a disinformation battle

Steven Overly of Politico reports on Arizona’s preparations to counter disinformation around the electoral process. Arizona was the epicenter for bogus claims about voter fraud and stolen…
October 22, 2024
Arizona

KTAR: Bipartisan duo appointed to lead Arizona MVD audit after voter registration system error

Kevin Stone of KTAR reports on the appointment of bipartisan leadership to audit Arizona’s Department of Motor Vehicles after an error in the voter registration system. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs…
October 21, 2024
Arizona

AZ Family: How the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is preparing to keep you and your ballot safe on Election Day

Whitney Clark of AZ Family reports on the Maricopa county Sheriff’s Office’s preparations to maintain safety at polling stations during the 2024 election. Early voting is…
October 17, 2024