The final countdown to the election has officially begun with the start of early voting today for the July 21 primary.

Why it matters: In many races, especially for Congress and the Legislature, districts are so heavily Republican or Democratic that the primary is the only election that really matters.

• And in more competitive races, a lot may be riding on who wins their parties' nominations.

State of play: If you're already on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) and you're registered with a political party, you'll automatically receive your ballot in the mail.

• If you're not, you can request one online.
• Put your ballot in the mail by July 14, bring it to an official drop box or early voting location, or bring it to a vote center by 7pm on Election Day.
• You can also cast a ballot at early, in-person voting locations.

If you're registered independent — meaning you're not registered with a party — you have to expressly request a partisan ballot, even if you're on the AEVL, because you must choose which party's primary you want to vote in.

Races to watch:

🗳️ Governor: U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs is the presumptive Republican nominee, but must defeat U.S. Rep. David Schweikert and businessmen Ken Miceli and Scott Neely in the GOP primary before taking on Gov. Katie Hobbs.

🗳️ Secretary of state: State Rep. Alex Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) and former Arizona Republican Party chair Gina Swoboda seek the GOP nomination, with the winner facing Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in November.

🗳️ Attorney General: The winner of the acrimonious Republican primary between Rodney Glassman and Senate President Warren Petersen will face Attorney General Kris Mayes.

🗳️ 1st Congressional District: Arizona's most hotly contested congressional race features spirited primaries on both sides of the aisle, with the national Democratic and Republican parties backing candidates for the competitive seat being vacated by longtime incumbent Schweikert.

More hot races

Wildcats star Koa Peat is staying in Arizona to start his professional career after the Phoenix Suns traded up for the final pick of the NBA draft's first round yesterday.

State of play: The Suns traded the 17th pick of the second round — the 47th overall — to the New York Knicks in exchange for the 30th and final selection of the first round.

• New York, which acquired the pick from the Dallas Mavericks, also gets second-round picks from Phoenix in 2029 and 2033, per Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro.
• The move brings Peat, who won four state championships at Gilbert's Perry High School, back to the Valley to start his NBA career.

The intrigue: Peat considered returning to Tucson for a second season after it became clear that he could slip late in the first round, but decided to stay in the draft.

• The 6-7 forward shined in his lone season at UofA and was one of the stars who helped lead the Cats to the Final Four, but NBA scouts were skeptical about how his skillset would translate to the pro game.

Catch up quick: The Suns traded their 2026 first-round pick, along with Jusuf Nurkić, to the Charlotte Hornets last year in exchange for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micić and a second-rounder.

Zoom in: Another UofA star, guard Brayden Burries went to the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th pick in the first round.

Share with a Suns fan

💸 U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego used campaign funds to pay for his family to accompany him on lavish fundraising trips to Disneyland, Disney World, Miami and Chicago, and for $18,000 worth of childcare expenses since 2019, including a $400 payment to his mother-in-law. (Politico)

• Facing backlash after the Politico story, Gallego released a lengthy statement saying the spending on his family was commonplace in political fundraising and necessary because he is "one of the least wealthy members of Congress."

📈 Arizona's unemployment rate rose to 4.8% last month from 4.7% in April as the state lost more than 14,000 jobs. (AZcentral)

🚫 Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a financial disclosure bill inspired by the pay-to-play allegations against her. (Capitol Media Services)

The second ransom note sent to the media following Nancy Guthrie's disappearance said that the 84-year-old had died and asked for payment for her body to be returned to the family, according to several new reports. (NBC News)

• The note expressed regret over the death, but no apology for the abduction.

Catching World Cup fever? Watch Party Radar shows you where to catch the latest match from a host of places across the Valley.

The context: Stefan and Dennis Tan built the database and map because they often travel for work and found it difficult to find a place to watch sporting events with fellow fans.

• "I am Dutch and moved to the U.S., so I am always hunting for the bar with orange in it (you can imagine how that goes)," Stefan told Axios.

Zoom in: Watch Party Radar lists nearly 400 spots in metro Phoenix. The number may grow as users can submit additional locations.

What's next: Make use of this fun tool ahead of the USMNT's final group stage match against Turkey at 7pm Thursday.