What you need to know for Election Day
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Intersections crammed with campaign signs, incessant text messages, mailboxes overflowing with mailers and wall-to-wall TV ads have led us to this moment — Election Day is here.
Why it matters: Today's election will decide Arizona's next governor and other statewide elected officials, multiple competitive U.S. House seats, control of the Legislature, statewide ballot initiatives and several hotly contested city council races.
State of play: If you haven't voted yet, you have until 7pm when the polls close.
- Maricopa County uses voting centers, so you don't have cast a ballot in your home precinct — you can vote anywhere in the county.
- If you have an early ballot, you can drop it off at any polling place or county drop box.
Find a voting center or drop box here.
Zoom in: If you're voting in person, make sure to bring your photo ID.
- You don't need it to drop off your early ballot, but if you show ID you can bypass signature verification and have your ballot counted more quickly.
What we're watching: Initial results from early ballots will be announced around 8pm, with Election Day voting results coming later in the night.
Here are the biggest races to watch:
Governor: Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs faces Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs.
- This will also be the first time Arizonans elect a lieutenant governor.
Secretary of state: Democrat Adrian Fontes seeks reelection against state Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale).
Attorney general: Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes looks to fend off a challenge from Republican nominee Warren Petersen, the state Senate president.
Ballot measures galore: There are eight statewide propositions on the ballot, including measures on early voting, school district spending, transgender athletes, DEI policies and photo radar enforcement.
1st Congressional District: Arizona's most closely watched congressional race pits Democrat Amish Shah against Republican Jay Feely for the open House seat being vacated by longtime GOP Rep. David Schweikert in this north Phoenix and Scottsdale-based district.
2nd Congressional District: Democrat Jonathan Nez hopes the national political climate can boost him over GOP Rep. Eli Crane in a rematch of the 2024 election in this conservative, rural district.
6th Congressional District: Republican U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani faces a tough reelection race against Democratic challenger JoAnna Mendoza in this competitive Tucson-based district.
Legislature: Democrats have gotten their hopes up in the past, only to fall short of their goal of controlling the Legislature for the first time since 1966 — but this could be their year.
Phoenix City Council: Two open seats — in central Phoenix and north Phoenix — are up for grabs. If no one gets an outright majority, the top two candidates will go to a March runoff election.
Scottsdale City Council: Three candidates — two Republicans running as a team against one Democrat — face off in the runoff election for two seats.
Mesa City Council: The only incumbent defending her seat this year goes to a runoff against a Turning Point-backed challenger.