Everything to know about voting in primary elections, including tracking your ballot

Voting in Arizona is easy. So, too, is tracking your ballot.

And it’s time to do both, as Arizona’s Aug. 2 primary election is underway.

How to vote by mail

If you are a registered Republican, Democrat or Libertarian on the Active Early Voting List, the Elections Department will automatically mail you a ballot on July 6. That ballot will arrive in a yellow envelope labeled “official election mail.” Inside, you will find your ballot, a green return envelope, instructions and a “I voted” sticker.

Using a blue or black pen (of any kind), thoroughly fill in the oval for your desired candidates.

Once you have made your choices, insert your ballot in the green return envelope. That green envelope has a barcode that is unique to your voter registration profile and allows you to track your ballot. It also prevents you from voting more than once.

You must sign the green envelope in the designated box. The Elections Department compares that signature to your past signatures to confirm your identity. If your signature does not match, we will contact you using the phone number you put on the green envelope, and we will ask for personal identifying information to confirm your identity.

Once your green envelope is sealed and signed, you can take it to any place you normally send mail. You do not need postage. The Elections Department must receive your ballot by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For the primary, we recommend you mail your ballot no later than July 26.

How to drop off your ballot

If you receive a mail ballot, you can also drop off your signed and sealed green return envelope at any one of our voting locations or ballot boxes. Those sites are listed at Locations.Maricopa.Vote.

This process works the same way as the above voting by mail, except your ballot is retrieved directly by a bipartisan team of elections officials, and you can drop off your ballot as late as 7 p.m. on Election Day.

How independent voters can vote

Independent (also called party-not-designated) voters can participate in the Aug. 2 primary, but they must select a Republican or Democratic ballot. This does not change their status as an independent.

Independents who want to vote by mail should go to Request.Maricopa.Vote before 5 p.m. on July 22 to request a ballot. They also can vote in person, early or on Election Day, using the instructions below. Independents who vote in person can select a ballot type at the voting location.

How to vote early in person

Ten locations will open on Wednesday, July 6, the first day of early voting. An additional 44 locations will open on Friday, July 22, then 66 more on Monday, Aug. 1, and, finally, 91 more on Tuesday, Aug. 2, Election Day.

The days, hours and locations of these sites are available at Locations.Maricopa.Vote.

No matter where in the county you live, you can show up to any of the 211 voting locations in Maricopa County and vote the correct ballot that will be printed for you on demand. Even if you live in Chandler, you can vote in, for example, Glendale.

You must bring appropriate identification – generally, a photo ID or two documents proving your place of residence such as a bank statement or auto insurance card – to get a ballot printed at a voting location. Because this process is still governed by early voting law, once you are done voting your ballot, you will put the ballot in an envelope that you must sign, seal and deposit in a secure box.

By law, the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before Election Day (July 30-Aug. 1) are reserved for “emergency voting” – voters who have an emergency that precludes them from voting earlier or on Election Day.

How to vote in person on Election Day

You can, of course, also vote in person on Election Day (Tuesday, Aug. 2). To do so, you must bring appropriate identification to one of the 211 voting locations and get a ballot printed.

In-person voters on Election Day feed their ballots directly into a tabulation machine at the voting location. For that reason, in-person voters on Election Day will be given a special writing instrument that dries quickly and does not cause residue to accumulate inside the tabulator.

Even if you received an early ballot, you can vote in person early or on Election Day. When you check in to an in-person voting location, our system automatically cancels your early ballot.

If you already returned your early ballot, and we already processed that ballot, then you will be asked to vote a provisional ballot at the voting location. Whichever ballot is received first will be the only ballot that is counted.

How to track your ballot after voting

No matter which voting method you use to vote, you can track your ballot to make sure it was received and tabulated. You can track your ballot by texting “JOIN” to “628-683” or by going online to BeBallotReady.Vote and entering your personal dashboard.

How to avoid common mistakes

If you tear your ballot, spill coffee on your ballot, lose your ballot or otherwise want a fresh ballot, you can request a new ballot by mail before the 5 p.m. deadline on July 22. Or you can show up to any voting location to vote in person (early or on Election Day). All previous ballots will be inactivated, making them “dead” ballots.

If you live with others, please be sure that you put your ballot in the green return envelope that was sent to you, and please be sure to sign the green return envelope.  Do not put more than one ballot in a green return envelope – none of the ballots will count if you do this.

Can I drop off a ballot for others?

You can mail or drop off early ballot green envelopes for family members, household members and people for whom you are a caretaker. Those people must first complete their ballots, place their ballots inside the unique green return envelope and sign their green envelopes.

Ballot delivery for any person not on this list is unlawful under Arizona state law.

What if I have additional questions?

We at the Maricopa County Elections Department are here to help. We have braille ballots. We have large print ballots. We have teams of bipartisan election workers who can visit you to assist.

We have voting equipment at every voting location for those who require visual, audio or mobility assistance. If you need any service or have any questions, please contact us at voterinfo@risc.maricopa.gov or 602-506-1511.

Happy voting!

Stephen Richer, a Republican, is Maricopa County recorder. Bill Gates, a Republican, chairs the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors; he represents District 3. On Twitter, @RecordersOffice, @billgatesaz.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How do I vote in Arizona primary election 2022? Everything to know