Deadline looms for Arizonans to register or choose party for Presidential Preference Election

PHOENIX – Arizona voters are running out of time to register or change party affiliation so they can be eligible to cast ballots in the state’s Presidential Preference Election next month.

The registration deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 20. Election Day for the PPE, Arizona’s version of a presidential primary, is March 19.

The PPE, which is separate from Arizona’s primary election for all other races in July, is limited to registered Democrats and Republicans.

Arizonans registered as independents or in other parties would have to switch their affiliation to Republican or Democrat to help choose a presidential nominee. Residents can register or update their party affiliation and other information at ServiceArizona.com.

County recorders will mail out PPE ballots to members of the Active Early Voting List and voters who requested a one-time early ballot on Feb. 21, which also is the first day of in-person early voting.

The Republican ballots will list nine names, and the Democratic ballots will have seven names. The options will include candidates who have dropped out of the race after they qualified to appear on the ballot in Arizona.

A list of Maricopa County in-person voting locations can be found at Locations.Maricopa.Vote. Residents in other counties can contact their respective recorder’s offices for voting locations and other information.

March 8 is the last day for an eligible voter to request an early ballot for the PPE. March 12 is the considered the last day put completed early ballots in the mail to ensure that they get to county election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day, when the polls close.

PPE isn’t the only March 2024 election for 2 Valley cities

Voters in two Valley suburbs, Tempe and Litchfield Park, will have two chances to cast ballots in March — in the PPE and in jurisdictional elections.

All eligible voters, not just those on the Active Early Voting List, will receive ballots by mail for the March 12 jurisdictional elections.

Ballots will be mailed out to voters Wednesday, the same day secure drop boxes open. Tempe will open ballot replacement centers on March 4, and Litchfield Park will open one on Election Day.

March 5 is considered the last day to mail back an early jurisdictional election ballot to ensure that it gets to county election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day, when the polls close.

To help avoid confusion, Maricopa County’s green ballot envelopes for the jurisdictional elections will be marked with red stripes, while the primary envelopes will have yellow stripes.

When is Arizona’s 2024 primary election?

Arizona’s primary election will be held July 30, a week earlier than originally scheduled. The date was changed last week, when lawmakers passed emergency legislation to ensure that the state could meet certain federally mandated deadlines.

Running For Office – Or thinking about running for office? The Az 2024 Primary has moved to July 30. Candidate filing deadlines have moved up one week as well. In the process of updating all info but find updated deadlines here. https://t.co/31oRKcd5pS

— Maricopa County Elections (@MaricopaVote) February 9, 2024

Registered independents can vote in the primary. They just have choose which party’s ballot they want to fill out.

July 1 is the deadline for Arizonans to register and be eligible to vote in the primary.

Arizona voters must be registered by Oct. 7 to participate in the Nov. 5 general election.

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