Are you ready for Arizona's presidential primary? How to register to vote in the election

Sasha Hupka, Arizona Republic
Updated ·4 min read

Get ready, Arizona voters: The first major election of the year is coming up.

Republicans and Democrats across the state are preparing to vote on their choice of their party's presidential nominee on March 19.

But this election is a little different than most others. It's not technically called a primary. Rather, it's Arizona's presidential preference election.

The name denotes that the results reflect voters' preferences. Unlike a primary, the actual winner of the preference election might not necessarily be the name listed on the fall general election ballot. Ultimately, presidential nominees are picked by the party delegates at their political conventions, although the Arizona law notes delegates should make their "best efforts" to honor the winner of the preference election.

Plus, not everyone can vote in the upcoming election. While independents can cast a partisan ballot during Arizona's primary in July, they cannot do so for this election.

Here's everything you need to know about preparing to vote in the presidential preference election.

Who can vote in the presidential preference election?

Only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in the presidential preference election.

That's in addition to the normal rules. To register to vote in any election in Arizona, you must be an American citizen, at least 18 years old before election day, and a resident of Arizona for at least 29 days before the election. You aren't eligible to register if you are a convicted felon who has not had your rights restored, or if you have been adjudicated as an incapacitated person.

How can I register to vote?

You can register to vote online if you have an Arizona driver's license or state ID. Otherwise, you'll need to register with a paper voter registration form. You can return the form to your county recorder by mail or drop it off.

If you register with a paper form, you'll see a section of the form that requires proof of citizenship.

The presidential preference election is considered a federal race, so you can vote in the election even if you do not submit proof of citizenship documents. However, you will be considered a "federal-only" voter and will not be able to vote a full ballot in the July primary election or November general election without updating your voter registration to include a photocopy of one of these documents:

  • Your Arizona driver's license

  • Your Arizona non-operating identification card

  • Your birth certificate

  • The photo identification page of your U.S. passport or passport card

  • Your naturalization documents

  • Your alien registration number

  • Your U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs or tribal identification card

Arizona is the only state in the country that requires proof of citizenship in addition to a signed affidavit when you register to vote in state elections. You must be an American citizen to vote in all states, but most only require voters to sign an affidavit attesting that they are U.S. citizens under the penalty of perjury.

I'm an independent, but I want to vote in the presidential preference election. What can I do?

Voters not registered to a recognized political party cannot vote in the presidential preference election.

If you're an independent and wish to vote, you can change your party affiliation to become a Republican or Democrat, vote in a presidential preference election and then re-register as an independent. But that takes some planning, and you'll have to change your party affiliation before the voter registration deadline.

When is the registration deadline?

The voter registration deadline is Feb. 20. Any voter registered as a Republican or a Democrat by that date can vote in the presidential preference election.

How can I check my voter registration status?

You can check your registration status through My.Arizona.Vote.

To use the site, you'll need to provide one of the following:

  • Your driver's license number

  • Your tribal identification card number

  • The last four digits of your Social Security number

Still have questions?

The Republic wants to answer. Reach out at newstips@arizonarepublic.com.

The Arizona Secretary of State's Office provides contact information for election officials by county.

All voters can contact the Arizona Secretary of State's Office at 1-877-THE-VOTE or 602-542-8683.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share on elections or voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona's presidential primary: How to register to vote