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Q&AZ: Where To Drop Off Early Ballots And Vote In Maricopa County

Q&AZ is supported in part by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Map: Early Voting And Ballot Drop-Off Locations In Maricopa County

For the 2020 general election, Maricopa County residents can vote in person or drop off early ballots from Oct. 7-Nov. 3, 2020. There are no assigned polling locations.

Click the arrow in the upper left corner of the map to see the type of location. Note that start dates and hours of operation vary by location. To search for location by home address and verify operating hours, visit  recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace.

A listener asked through KJZZ's Q&AZ project where she could drop off her early ballot to ensure it arrives on time.

Oct. 15 was the deadline to register to vote in November's election. Election officials across Arizona sent out the first wave of early ballots on Oct. 7.

In the August primary, close to 90% of voters cast early ballots, and the number might be even higher in the upcoming general election. Voters have several options for returning their early ballots and ensuring that they're counted.

Arizona allows election officials to begin counting early ballots two weeks ahead of the election. Ballots counted during that period will be included in the initial release of information at 8 p.m. on Election Day, according to Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.

The deadline to request an early ballot is Oct. 23 at 5 p.m., but county elections officials urge voters to submit their requests as early as possible to account for mail delays. The U.S. Postal Service advises voters to submit their requests even earlier, no later than Oct. 19 (and preferably even earlier). Voters can request a mail ballot online as well.

Voting By Mail

Maricopa County voters who want to return their ballots by mail should do by Oct. 27, according to Arizona Clean Elections. Ballots must be received by county officials no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. 

To account for possible postal delays, the USPS recommends mailing ballots no later than October 20th.

In Arizona, postage for ballots is prepaid, and voters are not required to affix a stamp to their envelopes.

Overseas and military voters using the Uniformed Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) have the option to return their ballots electronically.

Early Voting In Person

Voters who aren't on the permanent early voting list can vote in an early voting center, some of which open as early Oct. 7.

Just like voting in person on Election Day, voting in person at an early voting center requires identification.

These centers are run by individual counties, and a list of locations and hours can be found on each county's website.

Ballot Drop Boxes

At early voting centers and certain government buildings across the state, voters can return their ballots using a ballot drop box.

There are secure ballot drop boxes in most of Arizona’s counties, and at least 25 in the Phoenix metro area, ranging from Buckeye to San Tan Valley.

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Scott Bourque was a reporter and podcast producer at KJZZ from 2019 to 2022.