Arizona Absentee Voter Guide

Military and overseas voters should check out the Overseas Vote Foundation.  Long Distance Voter's forms and deadlines should only be used by voters with US mailing addresses.

Mail-In Deadlines

Primary Election: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 
General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2008 

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Arizona, you must:

• Must be a Citizen of the United States of America
• Must be a resident of Arizona
• Must be 18 years of age or more on or before the day of the next regular General Election
• Must not be a convicted felon, unless your civil rights have been restored
• Must not have been judicially determined to be mentally incompetent

How to register to vote:

• Recommended: If you have an Arizona driver license or non-operating identification license number, you can register to vote online at the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department website. 
• You can also use our Voter Registration Widget.  Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail the form and your proof of citizenship (see below) to your County Recorder. 
• You can also download and complete the Arizona Voter Registration form. Mail your completed form and your proof of citizenship to your County Recorder.

Proof of citizenship requirements:

If this is your first time registering to vote in Arizona or you have moved to another county in Arizona, your voter registration form must include proof of citizenship or the form will be rejected. If you are already registered in Arizona and are registering again because you have moved within a county, changed your name, or want to change your political party affiliation, you do not need to provide proof of citizenship.

If you have an Arizona state issued ID (driver license or non-operating identification card issued after October 1, 1996) this will serve as proof of citizenship and no additional documents are needed. If not, you must attach one of the following documents:  

• A legible photocopy of a birth certification that verifies citizenship and supporting legal documentation (i.e. marriage certificate) if the name on the birth certificate is not the same as your current legal name
• A legible photocopy of the pertinent pages of your passport
• A copy of your U.S. naturalization documents
• A copy of your Tribal Certificate of Indian Blood or Tribal or Bureau of Indian Affairs Affidavit of Birth

Voter registration verification:

You should receive written confirmation that your voter registration was processed in 2-3 weeks.  Don't panic if you never receive your voter registration card: you don't actually need it to vote.  If you not sure if your registration was processed - or if you simply can't remember if you're register to vote - you can verify your voter registration here.   

Absentee Voting

Who can vote by absentee ballot:

Good news! Any voter in Arizona can vote by absentee ballot.  Note: Arizona calls absentee ballots "early voting ballots." 

How to obtain your absentee ballot:  

Early ballots may be requested up to 90 days before the election. The last day to request an early ballot is 11 days prior to the election.  There is no formal absentee ballot application.  Contact your County Recorder for more information on obtaining an absentee/early voting ballot.   A fair number of County Recorders will let you request your absentee/early voting ballot online.

Emergency absentee ballots:

If you've missed the absentee voting deadline, and an unforeseen circumstance occurs which will prevent you from voting at the polling place, emergency early voting is permitted. You should contact your County Recorder's Office for the procedure for emergency early voting between 5:00 pm on Friday, October 31, 2008 and Monday, November 3, 2008. 

Absentee ballot instructions:

Once you receive your absentee ballot, fill it out, stamp it, and mail it back to your County Recorder's office. Your ballot must be received by 7pm on Election Day in order to be counted.

State Contact Information