2022 Midterm Elections: Where to vote in Arizona? When do the designated polls open and close?
Up and down the ballot in Arizona are highly competitive races for Governor, Congress, and the state legislature. Here is what you need to know.
Arizona is a battleground state and the 2022 Mid-Term election are no different.
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Voters will have a chance to decide who will lead the state from Phoenix as well as those who will be sent to Washington DC to advocate for their interests.
Can I still register to vote?
No. The voter registration deadline has passed. However, for those who had hoped to vote, it may be wise to register anyway to avoid being barred from casting a ballot in 2024.
When do mail in ballots need to be sent?
For those who plan to vote by mail, a ballot must either be returned through the post by election day or dropped off at a ballot drop-box by 8 pm on election day.
Where is my nearest polling station?
Find out where your assigned polling place is by using the official new Voter Information Portal. If that doesn’t give you the appropriate information then you can contact your County Recorder for further assistance.
Note that some Arizona counties are using vote centers which are open and available on Election Day to every eligible voter in the county. Voters can visit any vote center in their county to receive and cast their official ballot.
Governor’s Race: Katie Hobbs vs. Kari Lake
With current governor Doug Ducey unable to seek another term, Democrat Katie Hobbs faces off against Republican Kari Lake.
Lake is leading in the polls and after being endorsed by Donald Trump which galvanized his base of supporters, many of which believe the election was stolen in 2020. Before getting into politics, Lake was a local news reporter and has used her fame to bolster support for her campaign.
Lake has been at the forefront of the campaign to raise doubts about the validity of the 2020 election in her home state and has even called for the imprisonment of her opponent Katie Hobbs, who serves as the Secretary of State of Arizona.
Hobbs has not sucked up quite as much attention by the media as she is a far less controversial figure when compared to her opponent. The two disagree on most issues, with abortion being one of the most obvious. Kari Lake has embraced the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, campaigning on reducing barriers to motherhood, which critics say ignore other reasons for seeking an abortion. Unlike other Republicans, Lake has said that the government must make it easier for those who “choose to act responsibly when they are not ready to have a child,” by “making all common forms of birth control available over-the-counter, and providing assistance to those who are financially unable to pay for their own birth control.” Lake has not made clear how she would make this funding available.
Hobbs, on the other hand, has said that she will work to overturn Arizona’s laws on abortion to help increase access. If Democrats are unable to take control of the legislature, she will use her power to veto any bills that would further limit the right to chose in Arizona.
Immigration is another major area of disagreement between the candidates.
Kari Lake has said that she will finish the border wall and increase state funding for law enforcement agencies working at the border to increase hiring and staff retention. Katie Hobbs’ plan calls for more funding for these agencies as well but also includes funding for community centers that often treat migrants who have crossed the border. Increasing funding to these organizations ensures that they are better able to serve their community as well as those seeking legal status in the United States.
US Senate: Mark Kelly vs. Blake Masters
Incumbent Senator Mark Kelly faces Republican and Trump-endorsed candidate Blake Masters for one of Arizona’s seats in the US Senate.
Before entering the Senate, Mark Kelly was an astronaut with NASA, and is currently married to Gabby Giffords who served Arizona’s 8th congressional district until she was shot during an event at a grocery store in 2011. Giffords survived but was left with permanent brain damage that forced her to resign from her seat in the House of Representatives.
Blake Masters, earned his undergraduate and law degree from Stanford University and went on to become a venture capitalist. Compared to Kari Lake, Masters is much more conservative. In addition to agreeing with the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade, Masters believes that the court should reconsider the right to contraceptives, settled under Griswold v. Connecticut.
Kelly currently holds a small lead over Masters, but with just days left before the election, many believe that these numbers could flip.