What you need to know about Tuesday’s primary in Arizona
Aug 28, 2018, 5:33 AM | Updated: 3:58 pm
(AP Photo/Toby Brusseau)
(AP Photo/Toby Brusseau)
PHOENIX — Arizonans are going to the polls Tuesday for primary election day.
With Sen. Jeff Flake deciding not to run for re-election, three Republicans and two Democrats are fighting for his seat.
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Not only are voters choosing who will represent their respective parties in races for the lone Senate seat, they are also selecting candidates for governor and several other positions.
Voters started reporting issues with several polling locations in the Phoenix area early Tuesday, with problems varying from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office website sending them to the wrong polling place and being turned away once they arrived to locked doors or computers malfunctioning and Wi-Fi not working.
Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes admitted that his office had been told that technicians didn’t show up at some voting sites to try the equipment the previous day as scheduled.
“I am absolutely not happy that some voters don’t feel like they’ve been served properly,” Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes.
Fontes tweeted that “all sites were functional by 11:30 a.m.”
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of voting day.
Why are we voting again?
It’s the Arizona primaries.
Who is running?
For the Senate seat, there are a number of Republicans running in the primary. Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally and former state Sen. Kelli Ward are fighting for their respective parties, while Kyrsten Sinema and Deedra Abboud are running for the Democratic Party.
Looking at the governor’s race, Republican Doug Ducey takes aim at a second term against challenger Ken Bennett.
Steve Farley, David Garcia and Kelly Fryer are all vying for the Democratic Party’s seat.
The incumbent is the heavy favorite in that race, but polling shows a tight battle shaping up for the general election.
Where can I vote?
If you are unsure where to vote, visit the Arizona Secretary of State or the Maricopa County Recorder websites to find your polling location.
About 4,000 people are expected to work Maricopa County’s 500 polling locations, including 40 “bonus vote centers” where any registered voter can cast a ballot, regardless of their assigned polling place.
What is turnout expected to be?
Matt Roberts, a spokesman for the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, said the county has seen a jump in voters; however, he believes the number of voters at the polls will be like other primaries.
“We’re estimating for the first time in Arizona’s history, the raw number of voters participating in a primary will go over a million,” Roberts said.
“In terms of percentage of turnout, it’s tracking similarly to other primaries,” he added.
“Arizona’s obviously a growing state. Generally speaking, voter registration is increasing.”
When will we know who the general election candidates will be?
That will be difficult to say, but it will likely be some time later Tuesday night. Secretary of State Michele Reagan’s office was expected to begin posting results around 8 p.m.
KTAR News 92.3 FM will have a primary results roundtable program Tuesday from 8-10 p.m. led by Arizona’s Morning News host Jim Sharpe. He will be joined by KTAR political analyst Mike O’Neil and GOP strategist Stan Barnes.
