Pima County voters will have access to 120 Vote Centers when polls open for the July 21 Primary Election, and election officials are introducing a new option that could help speed up ballot processing after polls close.
The county announced Friday that voters dropping off completed early ballots can now choose an ID Verified Early Ballot Drop-Off process at any Vote Center. Instead of having their signature verified later by the Pima County Recorder's Office, voters can present an approved form of identification—such as an Arizona driver's license—to verify their identity when they turn in their ballot.
To use the new process, voters must bring their completed early ballot in its signed, dated and sealed affidavit envelope to any Vote Center by 7 p.m. on Election Day. At a designated table, a poll worker will verify the voter's identification, confirm their voter registration information and ask them to sign the electronic poll book. The ballot envelope will then be stamped as ID verified, placed into a secure ballot box and the voter will receive a printed receipt confirming it was accepted.
County officials said the new option could speed up election results because ballots verified through the ID process do not need to be sent to the Recorder's Office for signature verification before they are tabulated. The county noted that the impact on election night results will depend on how many voters choose the new process.
Officials also emphasized that the ID-verified option is only available for voters dropping off their own ballot. Under the traditional ballot drop-off process, eligible voters may still return ballots for a family member, someone living in their household or a person in their care.
Pima County's Vote Centers allow registered voters to cast a ballot or drop off an early ballot at any Vote Center location, regardless of their assigned precinct. Election workers print the correct ballot based on each voter's registered address, allowing voters to choose the location most convenient to their home, work or school.
Voters can find an interactive map of Vote Centers, early voting sites, 24-hour ballot drop boxes and the Mobile Voting Unit by visiting pima.vote.
