Election Day is two weeks away, and voting at the polls might seem a bit different this year, with fewer polling places and more observers. Here’s what you need to know.
Does anyone really vote at the polls anymore?
About two-thirds of Pima County’s registered voters received a mail-in ballot for this election, leaving about 174,500 registered voters who might go to the polls.
Turnout during the past few presidential elections was 78-82 percent, including mail-in votes and votes at the polls.
Will there be long waits at polling places?
The number of people voting early means fewer polling places are needed. Pima County will open 230 polling places, compared to about 300 in 2012, said elections director Brad Nelson.
The Elections Department is increasing the number of poll workers at each site, he said.
Voters shouldn’t have to wait in line more than 30 minutes before a poll worker greets them, or the Elections Department should take action to shorten wait times at that location, Nelson said.
Who are the observers?
In Arizona, election observers must be appointed in writing by the chair of the local political party, Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Greens.
Individual candidates and ballot proposition committees can’t have their own observers, Nelson said.
The parties will give the Elections Department a list of the observers and which precincts they’ll be working. Each observer should carry credentials he or she can show poll workers, who then call to verify the observer is on the official list, Nelson said.
What do observers do?
Observers already are watching the processing of early ballots at the Pima County Recorder’s Office and at the Elections Department.
Observers can be witnesses to how an election is conducted, but they can’t interfere or impede the process, Nelson said. They can ask poll workers questions, but they can’t talk to voters inside the polling place or within 75 feet of it, by state law, he said.
If a voter sees someone intimidating a voter or impeding someone from voting, he or she can bring it to a poll worker’s attention, Nelson said.
Pima County Republican Party Chair Bill Beard said observers are an important part of ensuring election integrity.
Will there be more observers this year?
Both major political parties have more local volunteers this year, plus the state-level parties hire attorneys to help with election-integrity and voter-protection issues.
The increase is partly due to the long lines voters in Maricopa County experienced during the presidential primary election, said Pima County Democratic Party Chair Jo Holt.
On the Republican side, there’s high interest in ineligible voters and in ballot harvesting.
Are observers trained?
The political parties that appoint the observers also train them about the laws and process, things they can and cannot do, things to look for and how to document and report their findings, Beard said.
Could observers be armed?
By state law, no weapons are allowed inside the polling place, Nelson said.
Can people campaign at the polls?
You can wear your candidate button or shirt or hat — the prohibition changed in Arizona about four years ago — but you can’t verbally encourage voting for or against a candidate inside the 75-foot limit.
How do I know where to vote?
If you’re planning to vote at the polls, check your polling place at the recorder.pima.gov website. Click “polling location.” Don’t assume it’s the same place you typically vote, because polling places do change. You may vote only at your assigned polling place on Election Day.
More voter resources are available at Tucson.com/vote
