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What To Do If You Already Voted And Your Presidential Candidate Has Dropped Out

Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar

Arizona Democrats have been voting for a presidential nominee since February, but Election Day is not until March 17. And the lineup has changed significantly since the list of candidates was finalized. On Monday, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced she would quit the race, following the weekend withdrawals of businessman Tom Steyer and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

There is good news and bad news if your preferred candidate is no longer in contention.

The bad news is, if you already voted, you can’t re-vote.

“People vote for their favorite candidate early on in the election cycle. And then their candidate drops out before Election Day and then they want to vote again, and that’s not allowed,” said Lynn Constable, elections director for Yavapai County.

Now for the good news. 

If you only filled out a mail-in ballot but didn’t yet send it in, there are three things you can do:

  • Cross out your mistake — clearly — and then choose another candidate. 
  • Vote in person. 
  • Call your county recorder’s pffice to request a new ballot. You need to do that by Friday, March 6. 

Election Day for the Presidential Preference Election is March 17. Mail-in ballots should be put back into the mail by March 11, unless you visit a drop-off location.

Constable said Arizona’s secretary of state has advised counties to post at voting locations a list of candidates who have publicly withdrawn.

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Bret Jaspers was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2017 to 2020.