Early Voting Kicks Off in Arizona, Igniting Presidential Campaigns to Hit the Ground Running

PHOENIX — Early in-person voting in Arizona kicks off Wednesday, marking the first major opportunity for residents to cast ballots before Election Day in what is expected to be a tightly contested race.

This initial voting period aligns with significant campaign activity, as both presidential nominees gear up for visits to the state. The vice presidential candidates, Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Republican Ohio Senator JD Vance, will hold separate events in Tucson on Wednesday.

In addition, Vice President Kamala Harris is set to rally supporters in Phoenix on Thursday, while former President Donald Trump plans a gathering in Prescott Valley on Sunday. This flurry of activity underscores the importance of Arizona in the 2024 election cycle.

The 2020 election saw President Joe Biden narrowly defeat Trump by merely 10,457 votes, igniting ongoing discussions and controversies over electoral integrity. This contentious atmosphere has led to threats against election workers, prompting enhanced security measures at polling places and in election offices across the state.

In Maricopa County, some schools have opted out of serving as polling locations due to concerns regarding harassment of election personnel and safety issues.

Arizona has a history of robust early voting, especially by mail. Approximately 80% of voters in the state utilized early voting methods during the 2020 election, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Under state law, each of Arizona’s 15 counties must provide at least one in-person voting site. This voting period continues until the Friday before the November 5 general election. In Maricopa County alone, a dozen voting centers are spread throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area.

As of late July, Arizona had 4.1 million registered voters, a number that has likely increased as both major parties have pushed for more registrations ahead of Monday’s deadline. Early in-person voting is already taking place in a handful of other states, with four additional presidential swing states—Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Nevada—set to begin next week.

Gabriel Sandoval is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, a nonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms for important community coverage.