Ignore the noise, Arizonans; your vote will be secure
The American election system is well-regulated and secure. We are part of the American Political Science Association Election Assistance Task Force asked to provide facts on voting and the election process.
You can have confidence in the voting process whether you vote by mail or vote in person on election day. If you are on the Permanent Early Voting List and did not receive your ballot, visit my.arizona.vote to see where it was mailed. If you live in Maricopa County check be ballotready.vote.
You can still vote in person if your ballot did not arrive. Our system ensures you only get one vote. If you have not mailed back your ballot, don’t do so now. Bring it to any polling location or county dropbox. You can find answers to other voting questions on the Arizona secretary of state’s office’s website, and can check voter registration here.
You may have heard concerns about mail-in ballots. Here are the facts. Mailin ballots have been used exclusively, without fraud, and according to established rules in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Research shows voting by mail does not unfairly help either political party, producing slightly higher voter turnout overall without increasing either party’s vote share. Arizonans have voted by mail for over twenty years, and approximately 80% of Arizonans vote by mail.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, maintains a state-bystate voter fraud database. It lists 1,298 cases of voter fraud since 1992. In that time, voters cast more than 1.5 billion votes. This suggests the rate of voter fraud is less than 00.000009% of all votes cast.
Since 2009 there have been only 23 voter fraud convictions in Arizona, meaning that the incidence of voter fraud in the Grand Canyon State is .0000013%. Folks have a better chance of being struck by lightning than they do of engaging in voter fraud in Arizona.
While voter fraud is extremely rare, voters should be mindful of the signature they use on the outer envelope of their ballot. For most people, that’s the signature on your driver’s license.
A federal judge ruled on September10 that early voters in Arizona who submitted their ballots but whose signatures don’t match will have 5 days after the election to correct the error. If you forgot to sign the outer envelope of your ballot, you can fix that through Election Day.
For those who plan to vote in person, you must vote at your designated polling location. Go to my.arizona.vote/ wheretovote.aspx to find yours. On Election Day you’ll need identification to vote in person, usually a driver’s license. Refer to this list to be sure you have what you need.
You have a legal right to vote free of intimidation. The Georgetown Law Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection provides state guides that explain what to do if you feel threatened or intimidated at the polls. It is also illegal to possess a gun at polling places in Arizona.
Finally, track your ballot! You can follow the process and ensure that your ballot was received and your vote counted at my.arizona.vote/AbsenteeTracker. aspx.
Our democracy civic engagement.
Please be sure to exercise your right to have your voice heard.
Be patient and wait for the system to release the results. Results may take time, but you can have confidence in the system as you participate in your democracy.
depends on
broad