Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Arizona
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Arizona, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Arizona Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Monday, October 5
By 11:59 p.m., 29 days before the election (A.R.S. § 16-120(A)). Online through AZMVDNow.
- Register by mail by
Monday, October 5
Postmarked by October 5 and received by the county recorder by 7 p.m. on Election Day (A.R.S. § 16-134).
- Register in person by
Monday, October 5
At the county recorder's office.
- Same-day registration
No
Registration must be received before midnight of the 29th day before the election.
- Early voting
Wednesday, October 7 to Friday, October 30
A.R.S. § 16-542(C).
- How early voting works
Locations and hours are set by each county. ID is required to get a ballot at an early voting site.
- Request a mail ballot by
Friday, October 23
A.R.S. § 16-542(E).
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: the ballot must reach the county recorder or be dropped at any polling place in the county by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day (A.R.S. § 16-548(A)).
- Election Day polling hours
6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Anyone in line at closing may vote.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Any voter can vote by mail
Any voter may request an early ballot or join the Active Early Voting List to receive one every election.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Counties designate drop box locations along with polling places (A.R.S. § 16-411(B)); ballots can also be dropped at any polling place in the county. Locations vary by county.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Ballots arriving after 7 p.m. on Election Day are not counted. Voters have until November 8 to cure a mismatched or missing signature (A.R.S. § 16-550(A)).
ID at the polls
- The rule
ID required (photo not needed)
One photo ID with name and address, or two non-photo documents with name and address. Without acceptable ID, the voter casts a conditional provisional ballot and must show ID to the county recorder by 5 p.m. on the 5th business day after the election (November 8 per the 2026 calendar).
- What to bring
Bring one Arizona driver license, state ID, tribal ID or other government photo ID showing your name and address — or two items such as a utility bill, bank statement, vehicle registration or official election mail. Without ID you vote a conditional provisional ballot and must show ID by November 8.
When will we know results in Arizona?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
7 p.m. Mountain (no daylight saving) time — 9 p.m. Eastern
Mountain Standard Time.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Wednesday, October 7
Signature verification begins as ballots arrive; tallying of early ballots may begin October 7 (A.R.S. § 16-550(B), 16-552).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Wednesday, October 7
Tabulation may begin as soon as envelopes are verified, but no results may be released until all precincts report or one hour after polls close, whichever is first (A.R.S. § 16-550(C), 16-551(C)). Early ballots dropped off on Election Day are verified and counted in the days after, which is why Arizona's count runs long.
- Counties finish their count by
Thursday, November 19
Boards of supervisors may canvass from November 9 and must finish by November 19.
- State certifies results
Monday, November 23
Official statewide canvass.
- Automatic recount
0.5% margin
Automatic when the margin between the top two candidates, or for and against a statewide measure, is at or below one-half of one percent of the votes cast for them (A.R.S. § 16-661).
- Requested recount
No
A.R.S. 16-661 ("Automatic recount") requires a recount only when the margin is one-half of one percent or less. The statute provides no candidate-requested recount; challenges are election contests.
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
The general election is decided by plurality; a near-tie goes to the automatic recount. No general-election runoff.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
Arizona's voting instructions describe vote-for-one ballots; no ranked-choice voting.
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
60% for initiatives or referendums that approve a tax; simple majority otherwise
Ariz. Const. art. IV, pt. 1, § 1(5), added by Proposition 132 (2024). Legislative referrals and constitutional amendments that do not approve a tax need a majority.
- New governor takes office
Monday, January 4, 2027
First Monday of January after the general election (Ariz. Const. art. V, § 1).
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Arizona Secretary of State.