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Election Day Guide: How to cast your vote

Many Pima County voters have already turned in their early ballots or voted early but a sizeable number of people will head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3 to cast their ballots in person.

To help our readers more easily navigate the ins, outs and must-haves for voting in person in Pima County, the Opinion page team presents to you an illustrated guide to what you need to know.

I’m a registered voter in Pima County. How do I find my voting precinct?

There are a few ways to locate your precinct. 

You can look at your Voter Registration Card, where your precinct number can be found near the top left-hand corner.

You can also go to the Pima County Recorder’s website and, under the header “Voter Information,” enter your address to find your voting precinct and what Congressional, state legislative, county, school districts and other districts you live in. 

More information: https://www.recorder.pima.gov/VoterStats/PrecinctDistrictData

OK, I know my precinct number, but what about the address?

Want to figure out what address corresponds with that precinct number? Head over to Pima County’s “My Polling Place Locater” online and type in your mailing or home address and your precinct's polling place address will pop up.

Polling places can change from election to election, so double check the address instead of simply heading out to where you voted last time. 

You can also use a similar tool found on the Pima County Recorder’s website.

Now that I know where to go, what should I bring with me?

This is where it gets interesting. If you have an Arizona driver’s license or non-driver identification card, some form of tribal enrollment or identification form, or some type of federal, state or local government-issued identification card that lists your name and address matching what’s recorded on the voter signature roster, you can proceed on to vote.

The poll workers will ask for your identification before passing you along to sign in and receive your ballot. 

For a better understanding of what to do if you don’t have one of the above listed identification types, visit the Arizona Clean Elections website to parse through the different documents you can bring to help identify yourself and vote.

Hold up, there is a pandemic going on! Are there any sort of social distancing or mask requirements?

Voters will need to submit to social distancing guidelines and maintain 6 feet of space from each other while waiting in line and to please wear a mask. If a potential voter appears to be sick, or is unwilling to submit to required face covering protocols, they will not be allowed inside the facility — but they will still be allowed to vote. Election staff will accommodate those individuals outside the precinct facilities.

Additionally, voters are encouraged to bring their own blue or black pens to fill out their ballots and cut down on chances of COVID-19 transmission.

I want to avoid those Election Day crowds, but I still want to vote in person. Is that possible?

In Pima County, there are several early voting locations with varying times and hours of operation that will be open before Election Day, Nov. 3. For a complete list of early voting locations and hours of operation, visit the Pima County Recorder’s website.

If you have your early ballot finished, signed and sealed, drop it off Nov. 3 at any polling location. DO NOT MAIL IT. 

I voted by mail already! But how can I make sure my vote counted?

Luckily, both the state and Pima County have easy-to- access portals for you to check on the status of your ballot. All you’ll need to enter is your name, date of birth and either your voting identification number of your driver’s license number.

I got to my precinct but was told I’d need to fill out a provisional ballot. Why?

Provisional ballots are given to anyone who is not listed on a precinct's roster, or who shows up without proper identification. This can happen if you have recently moved, you’re at the wrong precinct, you requested an early ballot and lost it or if your voter registration has lapsed. 

Provisional ballots are counted once the voter's signature has been verified by Pima County Recorder staff. If you are given a provisional ballot because you brought no identification to the polling place, you must bring proper identification to the Recorder's Office before the ballot can be counted. 

An election isn't over until every eligible ballot is counted. It's worth casting a provisional ballot instead of wasting your opportunity to vote.