You asked, we’re answering! Your questions about voting in the midterms

Arizona PBS is partnering with America Amplified and KJZZ to answer questions about how to participate in the 2022 midterm elections. Here are some of the top questions we have been able to answer thus far. 

Do you have a question we haven’t answered yet? Submit your question on our form on our Election 2022 page or by texting “ARIZONA PBS” to 855-670-1777. 

Q: I have been voting for 20 years now, but I haven’t received my mail-in ballot.  Why not?  

If you’re on the state’s Active Early Voting List you can expect to get a ballot in the mail about a month before the election. You can check your registration status at My.Arizona.Vote, and read more about the process at the Arizona Clean Elections website.  If you live in Maricopa County, you can also check your registration status with the county recorder.

Q: I’m concerned about getting my early mail-in ballot.  We requested to have our primary ballots sent to our temporary address over the summer but didn’t receive them.

First, try logging into My.Arizona.Vote to check your registration status. A law was passed in 2021 that would remove folks from the early voter list if they don’t vote in several consecutive elections. That law is being challenged and no one is being dropped from the list yet. We called the Secretary of State’s office to double-check on this, and they say it’s a situation-by-situation answer. Your best bet is to call their office at 602-542-4285.

Q: Why have we not yet received our voter ballots in the mail? How do we find out when our ballots will arrive?

You can expect to get your ballot in the mail about one month before the election – in mid-October. You can track your mail-in-ballot online at My.Arizona.Vote.

Q: I would like to know how to confirm that my voter registration information is up-to-date & valid.

You can look up your registration and make sure everything is up-to-date by logging in at My.Arizona.Vote.

Q: If I have voted by mail previously in Arizona do I need to request a ballot or will I get one automatically?

It is likely that you are still listed on the Active Early Voting List. We recommend double checking with your county elections department. In Phoenix, that’s the Maricopa County Elections department.  The deadline to join the Active Early Voting List, which allows you to vote by mail, is on Oct. 28.

Q: With mail-in ballots, how can I verify my ballot was counted or rejected and if it was rejected how would I dispute it?

You can track your ballot status to make sure it is counted and learn more by logging in at My.Arizona.Vote.  Keep in mind that, when a person votes by mail, they must verify their identity by signing the green affidavit envelope. If the signature does not pass the verification process, the voter is contacted. That’s why it’s important for mail-in voters to put their phone number below their signature on the green affidavit envelope in case their signature is questioned. If the signature is questioned, the voter will have until five days after the election to verify their signature.

 Q: Where can I find a list of the propositions and the consequences of voting for or against them in the upcoming midterm election in Arizona? I would also like to find information about the candidates for [my local] school board.  

You can learn more about who and what is on your ballot by accessing your sample ballot online. Also, KJZZ has published a voter guide that delves into the propositions. We go through what your yes or no vote would mean for each proposition, and we share the arguments for each proposition and the arguments against.

Q:  How can a judge determine that a proposed ballot initiative supported by 350,000 citizens cannot be included on the ballot? 

We have reported on ballot measures and legal challenges to those measures in the past. Check out our story on how difficult it is to pass initiatives these days and on how the courts have played an important role here.  

Q: I live in Phoenix and am buying a house in Casa Grande in Pinal county.  Closing date is supposed to be October 12. How do I change my voting district after the 12th? Will it be too late?

In Arizona the deadline to register was October 11 so you would have needed to register with your new address before that deadline. You can find how to change your voting district here and read more about voting, including what kind of ID is needed to vote at the Secretary of State’s website. 

Q: For political signs along the streets, what are the requirements that are required to be on the signs, and where those signs are placed?

According to the city of Phoenix’s website, there is no restriction on when political signs may be erected on private property prior to the election. However, political signs can be placed in the right-of-way only 71 days before a primary election.  You can find more information about what has to be on the signs and where they can go in this document on the phoenix.gov website. 

Q: How do you get a referendum on the AZ ballot?

To get a referendum on the ballot, applicants must form a political committee, file an application with the state and circulate a petition to collect signatures. Referendum petitions must have at least 118,823 signatures and the deadline to get on the ballot was July 7, 2022. 

Q: It would be helpful to see how, for each position, the candidates differ in their stance on a set of 5 or 6 issues. Is there an organization that offers that kind of comparison?

The Candidate Compass tool from the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission has a good summary of candidates’ positions on various issues.