Arizonans participating in Tuesday's primary election will help decide several local government races and narrow the field for the general election later this fall. Polls opened Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Changes in state law allowed Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes to begin tabulating mail-in and early ballots before the primary and does not expect a delay in vote counts.
The Arizona Republic reported Tuesday more ballots were processed before Election Day than were cast in 2018 or 2016 primary elections. According to Maricopa County data, about 719,000 ballots have already been cast.
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Undergraduate Student Government, beginning to implement campaign promises of increased civic engagement, have advertised the following as on-campus vote centers available to everyone:
- Tempe, Sun Devil Fitness Complex Maroon Gym: 400 E. Apache Blvd
- Polytechnic, Cooley Ballrooms: 5999 S. Backus Mall
- West, Verde Dining Pavilion: 4701 W. Thunderbird Rd
USG Tempe Senate President Kate Hostal, a junior studying finance, said there is no Downtown campus polling location but advised students closest to that area to cast their ballot at the Burton Barr Central Library on 1221 N. Central Avenue.
Maricopa County voters can cast ballots at any vote center.
Republican Sen. Martha McSally is expected to win her primary and is spending Tuesday in Washington, D.C. with President Donald Trump for the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, which allocates over $1 billion to national and state parks. Her Democratic challenger, Mark Kelly, is uncontested and has a seven point lead over McSally, according to a poll from late June.
Other highly contested federal races include the sixth congressional district, which has four Democrats running for Rep. David Schweikert's (R-Fountain Hills) spot, and a number of statehouse races that could result in one of the chambers going to the Democrats.
Maricopa County sheriff, attorney, recorder and seats on the board of supervisors are also on the ballot.
Results are expected Tuesday evening at around 8 p.m.
Reach the reporter at pjhanse1@asu.edu and follow @piperjhansen on Twitter.
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Piper Hansen is the digital editor-in-chief at The State Press, overseeing all digital content. Joining SP in Spring 2020, she has covered student government, housing and COVID-19. She has previously written about state politics for The Arizona Republic and the Arizona Capitol Times and covers social justice for Cronkite News.
