Pima County Recorder

How do you process Early Ballots?

Get a colorful infographic about the Life of a Ballot.

Why didn’t I get an Early Ballot?

There are a few reasons why this might happen:

• You are not eligible to vote in this election. To see if you are eligible, you can look up your district or precinct here.
• You are not signed up for the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) or you didn’t request an Early Ballot for this election.
• Your Voter Registration might be inactive. If Official Election materials were mailed to you but returned by the Postal Service (it’s illegal to forward that type of mail), we’re required to try to contact you again. If we don’t hear from you, your registration will be deemed inactive until it’s updated. You can check your registration at Recorder.Pima.gov/VoterInfo.
• If your registration is up to date, you can still vote in person at any Ballot Replacement or Early Voting Site or on Election Day. You can request a new ballot here.
• If you still have questions, call the Recorder’s Office at (520) 724-4330.

I made a mistake on my ballot. Do I need a new one?

If you make a mistake while voting, it's OK to cross out the incorrect vote and then vote the way you want to.

What if I accidentally sign the wrong affidavit?

That’s OK. If you sign the affidavit of who lives at your address simply have them sign your affidavit. If you like, you can add a note to each affidavit that says, “household mix-up.” Our staff will then be able to match your signatures at the time of processing.

I left the date off the affidavit. What should I do?

That’s OK. If your ballot is received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, the date won’t matter.

Do I need the yellow envelope when I drop my ballot?

No. The yellow envelope is intended for mailing in your Early Ballot. Therefore, you do not need it if you plan to return your ballot to a drop-off location. Simply take your ballot in your affidavit envelope to any ballot drop-off location!

I didn’t get an affidavit. Do I need it?

Yes! To ensure the security of mailed ballots, you must sign an affidavit promising that it is your ballot and you voted it. You can take your ballot to an Early Voting or Ballot Replacement site and get a new affidavit envelope. Remember to bring identification because the affidavit envelope must be matched to your voter record. You can find a list of acceptable forms of ID here. If you prefer to have it mailed to you, we will mail a new ballot packet. You can request one here: Recorder.Pima.gov/BallotByMailRequest or call 520-724-4330.

My signature has changed a lot, what should I do?

Our ability to match your signature on the ballot affidavit and the signature we have on file for you is a critical step in the security of mailed ballots. Often the last signature we have on file was from a registration form you filled out when you registered at 18! A person’s signature changes a lot. There are multiple ways to make sure that your signature is up to date:

1. Fill out a new Voter Registration form and sign it how you currently sign your name. You can request a form or print one out. For more information, go to Recorder.Pima.gov/Register or the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division website and click Voter Registration.
2. Answer our call or text when we are unable to verify your signature on the affidavit. We will then mail you a form and request that you mail it back.
3. Go to a Ballot Replacement or Early Voting site and sign an affidavit in person using identification. We can then update the signature we have on file using that image.

What do I do if I can’t physically sign my affidavit?

If you are unable to sign your affidavit due to a physical injury or illness, please call our office at 520-724-4330 and let us know. We will ask you some security questions to verify we are speaking to the correct person. We can put a note in your file to avoid a delay in processing your ballot. Please be sure to have the person who assisted you fill out the appropriate section of the affidavit. If we do not have record of a physical limitation in your file and your affidavit shows that you were assisted, we will simply call or text you to verify that you gave permission to be assisted in voting your ballot. Please be on the lookout for calls from our office asking you to call 520-724-4309. Please note that a developmental or mental disability does not qualify for assistance in filling out your ballot.

How do I know the status of my mailed ballot?

I got a text saying my signature can’t be verified. Is that legit?

Our office will send a text or email if we have that information on file. We will ask you to call 520-724-4330 to verify that you did vote your ballot and signed your affidavit.

This process is called “Ballot Curing” and many groups have a vested interest in making sure your ballot gets counted. Because of this, you may receive multiple texts or phone calls telling you that you need to call us to verify your signature. Information reaching these groups takes time. Please be patient and understand that although you may have already called us, these organizations may not have gotten the message yet. Just one more reason to sign your affidavit and keep your voter file updated!

Additionally, the Arizona Secretary of State recently implemented a Text to Cure program with extensive instructions to send a picture of your valid identification and indicate that you did indeed sign that affidavit. It is a wonderful program that assists us in counting your ballot!

In these situations, we will send you a new Voter Registration form to update your signature.

OK, I really do need a new ballot. How do I get it?

• You can get a replacement ballot at any Ballot Replacement Site or Vote Center, but you will need ID.
• You can also choose to simply vote on Election Day.
• If you choose to vote at a Vote Center, we ask you to destroy your mail ballot afterward.
• If your ballot was damaged, your affidavit envelope is missing or you're not sure whether you need a new ballot, call the Recorder’s Office at (520) 724-4330. You can request a new ballot here.

I still have my Early Ballot! What should I do?

• No problem. If it's at least a week before Election Day, you can still drop it in the mail.
• If it's less than a week before Election Day, you can drop it off at any Ballot Replacement Site or Early Voting Site.
• If it's Election Day, you can drop it off at any Vote Center
• You do not have to wait in line, you will be directed to a Ballot Return Box, and you can just place it in the box and leave.

Who can drop off my ballot for me?

Only household members, family or caregivers are allowed to drop off ballots for other than their own.

Why did I have to vote a provisional ballot, and will it count?

Provisional ballots provide protection for the voter by allowing us to further investigate a voter’s eligibility to vote without delaying the voter at a voting site. Most ballots that are voted provisionally do count! Our office processes provisional ballots by 10 days after Election Day depending on the type of election. There is no difference in the ballot, and this usually occurs when there is a change in the voter’s record close to registration deadlines or if a voter’s registration is incomplete and our office was unable to reach the voter. On some rare occasions, a mistake is made when entering the information into the voter registration record. A provisional ballot allows the voter to vote the ballot they think they should while we investigate their record.

How do I know my provisional ballot counted?

If you vote a provisional ballot at a Vote Center on Election Day, you will be given a receipt with a number that you can use to check your provisional ballot status. Those updates will be available after the deadline to process provisional ballots as outlined above.

If you voted a provisional ballot at an Early Voting site, you can track your ballot status on our website. If your status does not change, then our procedures found that for some reason, you were not eligible to vote. You may call our office to find out the status or to inquire about the reason for disqualification at 520-724-4330.

How do I vote for a write-in candidate?

Write the candidate's name in the space provided AND fill in the oval in front of the name. A list of write-in candidates is available on the Elections Department website or call their office at 520-724-6830.

My address says “Tucson,” why can’t I vote for Mayor?

Even though your address states you live in the city of Tucson, you may not live in the official voting boundaries of the city. Check your voting district boundaries here: Recorder.Pima.gov/DistrictMaps

How can I know who or what to vote for?

We understand that knowing how to vote for a candidate or on an issue can be overwhelming. We cannot tell you how to vote, but there are some resources available to you. If you’d like more information about candidates on your ballot, we recommend looking at voter education information from the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, League of Women Voters, City of Tucson voters and the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office.

I can’t remember if I voted. Should I vote again?

No! It is a crime to vote more than once in an election. To confirm whether you’ve voted, go to Recorder.Pima.gov/BallotInfo. Or call 520-724-4330.

Still have a question? Call the Recorder’s Office (520) 724-4330