With the general election approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the deadline for registering to vote in the state of Arizona is this Monday, Oct. 5. Those interested in becoming a voter can either go to servicearizona.com or do so in person at public libraries, the Motor Vehicle Department, or at the county offices in Cottonwood at 10 S. Sixth St.
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the county will begin mailing ballots to those on the permanent early voting list. Those who wish to join the list can still do so by contacting the county recorder’s office at 771-3244 through Friday, Oct. 23.
According to Yavapai County Recorder Leslie Hoffman, herself running unopposed for reelection this November, 81% of Yavapai County voters are already on the early voting list, the highest rate of any county in the state. Hoffman expects high turnout this year, and especially a higher than normal portion of votes coming by mail due to the pandemic.
Hoffman therefore recommends sending any mail-in ballots as early as possible to deal with the increased mail loads, and looking out for calls from the county elections office if there are errors such as unmatched signatures or other mistakes.
“I would ask that people put their ballot in the mail no later than a week before, because there is going to be an increased volume,” Hoffman said. “Anything after that I’d encourage people to do it in person, at one of our vote centers or vote boxes. It’s very disheartening for election officials when ballots come in two or three days after the election and we can’t count them.”
Ballot drop-off boxes can be found at the county administration building in Cottonwood or at Camp Verde Town Hall, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, Clarkdale Town Hall and Sedona City Hall. Hoffman said that the county is trying to set up additional locations, but did not want to promise any more spots before they are confirmed.
Early in-person voting can be done at the county administration building in Cottonwood starting Oct. 7, Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A law passed by the Arizona State Legislature after the 2018 election now allows election administrators to start counting early votes up to 14 days before the date of the election, which means that the vote count could be faster than in previous years.
This, as well as the likely increase in early votes, means that votes will hopefully be able to be counted faster this year, Hoffman said, though she noted that results will still probably be incomplete until a few days after the election, as the last votes continue to be counted.
“I’ve had so many people say, ‘The minute I get my ballot is the minute I turn it in.’ Perfect. That’s music to our ears,” Hoffman said. “The more we can get in early, the better it is for voters, for us and for the candidates.”
The contested elections on this years’ ballot are as follow:
Federal
President/Vice President
- Donald Trump/Mike Pence [R]
- Joe Biden/Kamala Harris [D]
- Joe Jorgensen/Spike Cohen [L]
U.S. Senator
Term Expires January 2023
- Martha McSally [R]
- Mark Kelly [D]
U.S. Congress, District 1
- Tiffany Shedd [R]
- Tom O’Halleran [D]
U.S. Congress, District 4
- Paul Gosar [R]
- Delina Disanto [D]
State
State Senator, District 1
- Karen Fann [R]
- Gilbert Carillo [D]
State Senator, District 6
- Wendy Rogers [R]
- Felicia French [D]
State Representative, District 1
Vote for up to 2
- Judy Burges [R]
- Quang Nguyen [R]
- Judy Stahl [D]
State Representative, District 6
Vote for up to 2
- Brenda Barton [R]
- Walt Blackman [R]
- Coral Evans [D]
Art Babbott [I]
Arizona Corporation Commission
Vote for up to 3
- Lea Marquez Peterson [R]
- James O’Connor [R]
- Eric Sloan [R]
Bill Mundell [D]
Shea Stanfield [D] - Anna Tovar [D]
County
District 2 Supervisor
- James Gregory [R]
District 3 Supervisor
- Randy Garrison [R]
- Donna Michaels [D]
County Assessor
Judd Simmons [R]
County Attorney
Sheila Polk [R]
County Recorder
- Leslie Hoffman [R]
County School Superintendent
- Tim Carter [R]
County Sheriff
- David Rhodes [R]
County Treasurer
- “Chip” Davis [R]
School and Community Boards
Camp Verde Unified School District Governing Board
Vote for up to 3
- Thomasene Cardona
- Helen Freeman
- Carol German
- Monique Prigmore
Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District Governing Board
Vote for up to 3
- Mindy Bejarano
- Joe Donaldson
- Janice Rollins
- Mary Valenzuela
Mingus Union High School District
Vote for up to 3
- Lori Drake
- Tony Isola
- Anthony Lozano
- Greg Roeller
Verde Valley Fire District
Vote for up to 3
- Ken Bishop
- Robert Brummett
- Matthew Kaempfe
- Gary Svider
