Arizona is set to kick off early in-person voting on Wednesday, becoming the first presidential battleground state this year where all residents can cast their ballots at traditional polling places ahead of Election Day. The closely contested state is drawing attention from both presidential campaigns, with visits scheduled by the vice presidential nominees and other key figures.
Both Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance will be holding separate events in Tucson on Wednesday, coinciding with the start of in-person voting. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, is set to host a rally in Phoenix on Thursday, while former President Donald Trump will hold an event in Prescott Valley on Sunday.
In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden narrowly defeated Trump by just 10,457 votes in Arizona, sparking controversy and conspiracy theories among Republicans. This has led to threats and harassment of election workers, prompting increased security measures at polling places and election offices, with some schools in Maricopa County opting out of serving as polling locations due to safety concerns.
Arizona has a strong tradition of early voting, with nearly 80% of voters casting their ballots before Election Day in 2020. Each of the state's 15 counties is required to open at least one site for in-person voting, with early voting running until the Friday before the Nov. 5 general election. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has a dozen voting centers spread across the metro area.
As of late July, Arizona had 4.1 million registered voters, a number that is expected to have increased as both parties made efforts to boost registration before the deadline. Early in-person voting has already begun in several other states and will start next week in four more presidential swing states: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Nevada.
