What you need to know about Tuesday’s election in Arizona

PHOENIX — Voters across Arizona will take to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new U.S. senator, U.S. representatives, state representatives and more.

The biggest race of the night will arguably be the race between Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, going head-to-head in an attempt to be the first woman senator elected in Arizona.

It has been a close race since McSally and Sinema each won their respective party’s primaries in August. A majority of polls have had Sinema leading, but within the margin of error.

Elections officials will also work to ensure that a repeat of the problems in the Aug. 28 primary does not occur. Sixty-two polling locations in Maricopa County did not open on time for the primary election because of malfunctioning equipment.

County Recorder Adrian Fontes said he has hired about 4,000 county workers to set up machines and work at the precincts on Election Day in an attempt to avoid any issues.

Fontes has also set up 40 so-called voting centers in addition to the county’s approximately 500 polling stations for voters whose normal precincts were not operational.

If you are planning to take to the polls on Tuesday, KTAR News 92.3 FM has you covered. Here is everything you need to know about voting in Tuesday’s election:

Why are we voting again?

It’s the 2018 general election. Unlike the 2016 general election, you will not be electing a president or several Arizona senate seats — that will occur again in 2020.

Arizona voters will get the opportunity to elect the state’s first female U.S. senator, all of the state’s U.S. representatives, governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, state mine inspector, corporate commissioner, state senators and state representatives and five ballot measures.

How many people are expected to vote on Tuesday?

Garrett Archer, data analyst for the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, said on Friday that 1.46 million people have already cast early voting ballots, more than 60 percent of the expected voter turnout.

Who is running for what seats?

Besides McSally and Sinema, each U.S. representative seat will be up for grabs, as well as the governor’s seat, state senate, state representatives and other local races.

Democrat Tom O’Halleran will attempt to hold on to his seat in Congressional District 1, while Republican Wendy Rogers will move to unseat him.

Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick will fight for her old seat in Congressional District 2 against Republican Lea Marquez Peterson.

Democrats Raul Grijalva and Ruben Gallego and Republicans Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs and David Schweikert are expected to easily win back their seats in Congressional Districts 3-7.

Republican Debbie Lesko, who recently appeared at a Mesa rally for President Donald Trump, will again face off with Democrat Hiral Tipirneni for Congressional District 8, which Lesko won in an April special election after Trent Franks’ resignation.

Former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton will look to take on a new set of challenges in Washington, D.C. in his bid to win Sinema’s Congressional District 9 seat against Republican Steve Ferrara.

Doug Ducey is expected to handily win his re-election bid against Democrat David Garcia, who has run on an education-focused campaign in the wake of the #RedForEd movement.

Republican Steve Gaynor and Democrat Katie Hobbs will go head-to-head for secretary of state, while Republican Frank Riggs and Democrat Kathy Hoffman will compete for superintendent of public instruction — two races whose incumbents were pushed out in August.

What else will we be voting on?

In addition to electing public servants in both federal and state legislature, voters on Tuesday will also cast their ballot for five initiatives.

The initiatives — Propositions 125, 126, 127, 305 and 306 — deal with everything from state pensions to a professional services tax to private schools.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s reporters took a deep dive into each proposition, exploring what it is, who supports it, who opposes it and what a yes or no vote would mean. Read about the ballot initiatives here.

Where can I vote?

Your polling location is determined on your address to make it as convenient for you as possible. If you live in Maricopa County, you also have the option to vote at 40 polling centers if there are long lines or other issues at your specified polling location.

To find your polling location (polls open at 6 a.m.), visit the Arizona Secretary of State’s website and plug in your address. The website will also provide you with additional resources in order to contact your local elections official.

Visit Maricopa County’s website for the 40 voting centers’ locations and hours.

Potential voters will also need to bring a form of ID with them, such as a valid driver’s license, to cast a ballot. Other forms of acceptable IDs include a passport along with a recent utility bill or another ID with your name and address.

If you received an early voting ballot but did not get it in the mail in time to be counted, you can take it to your local polling place, skip the line and turn it in. You can also have a family member, household member or a caregiver turn in your ballot for you — anyone else who turns it in could be charged with a felony crime.

When will the results be determined?

The polls will close at 7 p.m., but as long as you are in line by then you will be able to vote. The results are expected to come in as early as 8 p.m., but depending on wait times and how close the races are, it could be later than that.

KTAR News 92.3 FM will bring you complete coverage of Tuesday’s election, starting at 5 a.m. with Arizona’s Morning News and continuing through 9 p.m., when Bruce St. James, Pamela Hughes, Chad Benson and political analyst Mike O’Neil will host a special election night show.

Follow @KTAR923