Polls closed in Arizona at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Find results as they come in here on the Secretary of State’s website.

8:50 p.m. Democrats cheer for Arizona wins

Priya Sundareshan, a candidate for Arizona Senate, erupts in a cheer as Pam Powers Hannley, gripping a microphone, reads early results at an Election Night party with the Pima County Democrats.

Local candidates for school boards and their supporters also react to early results at a Pima County Democrats Election Night party.

– Becky Pallack

8:45 p.m. Republicans cheer for Arizona wins

Shelley Kais, Chair of Pima County GOP, told Arizona Luminaria that though there were some slight technical issues at vote centers, “There was nothing significant enough to affect the outcome of the election.”

Kais said she is confident that Juan Ciscomani will win his congressional race, and that voters might see decisive wins in that race, as well as with Kari Lake for governor as early as Election Night.

Meanwhile, Linda Evans, a candidate for State House District 18, is “not confident at all” she can win. She blamed redistricting and more Democratic leaning areas.

Laughing, Evans talked about what she chose to wear at a GOP party — a sparkling azure-colored blouse — a sign that represented her independence compared to traditional Republicans.

“We are representatives, and we should be working for the people, or for ourselves,” she said. Evans said she knocked on more than 3,000 doors throughout her campaign. She doesn’t plan to stop talking to her community, no matter the results.

Stu Grobk, who lives nearby, said, “I’m sort of a federalist, so for me it’s about government overreach. I’m focused on the mistakes of Biden, Afghanistan, the war in energy, the woke stuff with kids and history.”

He said he generally trusts the election, though it’s a work in progress, and he expects big wins for the GOP this week.

The watch party is punctuated by occasional whoops and applause as the Fox News broadcast shows GOP leading in some races.

By 9pm, the crowd is thinning.

– John Washington

8:05 p.m. Arizona starts waiting, reporting early results

Arizonans are anxiously watching election results in a region that has drawn attention for election-deniers and for shifting toward a competitive “purple” state.

With just more than 50% of precincts reporting, it is too early to call elections in key races such as the Senate race between Democrat incumbent Mark Kelly and Republican challenger Blake Masters.

Check out Arizona’s election results.

– Dianna M. Náñez

8 p.m. Police called on man impersonating poll worker at Tucson vote center

The Tucson Police Department responded to calls when a man wearing a shirt that made him falsely appear to be a poll worker refused to leave the Eckstrom-Columbus Library vote center in Tucson, said Mark Evans, a spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

“The vote center had to call the police because of the confusion he was creating and wasn’t leaving,” he said.

– Dianna M. Náñez

7:45 p.m. Pima County Democrats watch results

Shelly Burgoyne, executive director of the Pima County Democratic Party, said the local party members are “hopeful and confident” waiting for early results to roll in.

They are also confident in the election process and the way the Pima County Recorder runs elections, she said. Democrats did not publicize the watch party location, citing security concerns.

– Becky Pallack

7:10 p.m. Pima County Republicans watch results

“All in all Pima County had a successful election today,” said Shelley Kais, GOP Pima County Chair.

Republican voters started to gather in the courtyard at St. Philip’s Plaza to watch election results roll in.

– John Washington

7 p.m. Immigration issues and voters want options: “I want better Republican candidates.”

Edgar Andre López, 23, doesn’t trust mail-in ballots, so he wanted to vote in person. A dual-citizen, he’s also eligible to vote in Mexico.

“My dad taught me how important it is to vote,” he said. “You can’t complain about the state of things if you don’t get out and vote.”

Edgar believes there’s more potential for collaboration than reason to fear immigration. The border wall and the vilification of immigrants are key issues for him.

“We need to reach agreements and support each other, not fight migrants” he said.

The full moon and and orange buzz from the elementary school lights lit up the line of about 60 people. Folks were in Amazon delivery uniforms, running gear, Army fatigues, and hoodies against the evening chill.

Reed, 35, was dropping off his mom’s ballot and there to vote in person. He was voting the Democratic ticket, but said, “Despite what Republicans might think, I want better Republican candidates. I want the option.”

Right now, he said, it’s so polarized that he doesn’t have to pay close attention to the races. “Because it’s clear, you just see, ‘Oh, you’re the crazy candidate, I know I can’t vote for you.’”

He said that a better democracy is one where you have real options.

– John Washington

6:40 p.m. Long lines, long waits as polls poised to close

About 60 people are still in line at Rio Vista Elementary School in Tucson with more than a half hour wait and voters still arriving. Voters in line by 7 p.m. are legally allowed to vote even if they cast their ballot after the time polls close. People who arrive after 7 p.m. must be turned away.

– John Washington

5:15 p.m.: Maricopa’s tabulation issues and apologies

Roughly 30% of Maricopa County’s 223 voting sites were affected by tabulation issues today. Officials said they have identified the issue, and a possible solution.

According to officials with the Maricopa County Elections Department, the solution “has worked at 17 locations, and technicians deployed throughout the county are working to resolve this issue at remaining locations.”

Maricopa County Recorder, Stephen Richer, publicly apologized in a letter on his personal Twitter account.

“I am very sorry for any voter who has been frustrated or inconvenienced today in Maricopa County,” he wrote. “Every legal vote will be tabulated. I promise.”

Bill Gates is the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

“County technicians have changed the printer settings which seems to have resolved the issue,” Gates said in a press conference. “It appears some of the printers were not producing dark enough timing marks on some of the ballots.”

Voters experiencing issues with tabulators at their voting centers have been encouraged to place their completed ballots in a secure ballot box on site, or take them to another voting center.

– Kirsten Dorman

4:50 p.m. More location confusion

Two locations on Tucson’s east side hung signs after last minute changes or confusion about being vote centers. At Hilton Tucson East and Fellowship Bible Church, both on East Broadway, signs were posted directing potential voters to “Mercy Wilmot Library” (which is actually Murphy-Wilmot Library) or Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church.

At Fellowship Bible Church, in the space of a few minutes, at least a dozen potential voters parked and got out of their cars with ballots in hand. Others were looking not to drop off a ballot but to vote in person.

The pastor of the church, Kevin Taylor, said that the confusion likely came because the location was an an early voting site until yesterday. In previous elections the church was a precinct voting site.

“I told them,” he said, referring to the county recorder, “from the beginning that it’s going to be confusing.” Kevin said he called the recorder’s office this morning after people showed up trying to vote. The recorder’s office sent some more signs to set up.

By the afternoon, those signs were either largely ignored or had fallen down in the wind. Voters who spoke to Arizona Luminaria expressed both confusion and frustration. “I don’t know why they have to make it so hard,” one voter said, as she and her sister, neither of whom wanted to share their names, left to try and find a vote center.

– John Washington

4:45 p.m. Yaqui Vote

Adam Reyes, 35, came straight from his job at the Wild Horse Casino to the voting center in Guadalupe’s El Tianguis Mercado to cast his ballot this afternoon. Before this, he said he’d never really voted.

“With everything that’s going on in the world, it just feels good to get out and do something, if you can, about it,” Reyes said. “It definitely feels good to get out and vote with the people here.”

He held up the t-shirt he had gotten from Yaqui Vote, showing it off.

“My local tribe, they’re giving out t-shirts just for voting,” he said with a smile.

The voting process here was easy and pleasant according to Reyes.

“There was all sorts of different people in there — Democrats, Republicans,” he said.
Reyes said that for him, giving back to the community means everything from voting in hopes of boosting the local economy to participating in an upcoming community bike ride. Specifically, he said he’s looking forward to getting out and riding with his community in El Tour de Tucson, a bike ride sponsored by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

– Kirsten Dorman

4:30 p.m. Voter intimidation reported in Guadalupe

Jose-Enrique Saldana is the assistant to the Tribal Administrator in Guadalupe, and the Guadalupe representative for Yaqui Vote, a non-partisan organization. Today, he is at the voting center in Guadalupe’s El Tianguis Mercado.

Saldana and a handful of Yaqui Vote personnel have been there all day, sitting under a canopy tent outside. Folding tables show off the stickers, candy, and t-shirts they have been giving away. Several people stopped by on their way out of the voting center, many of them taking a few stickers and a piece of candy.

Roughly half of Guadalupe’s population is made up of members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, said Saldana, and Yaqui Vote is camped out to make sure those who come to vote feel comfortable doing so.

“The reason we’re here is not only because our members are here, but we also believe that representation matters,” Saldana said.

He said he hopes that if Pascua Yaqui members see people that look like them, they will come forward with questions they may have about the voting process. Saldana recalled being here for the 2020 presidential election to do the same thing, and said he feels the tension and levels of voter intimidation have only ramped up since then.

“Just this morning we were having a lot of voter intimidation [reported] to the Native Vote Protection Hotline,” he said. “There were people that were passing the 75-foot limit and trying to shove literature [into] voters’ hands. Just talking about their choice of candidates, and trying to shove their ideology amongst others — and not only our tribe members, but our town residents and voters that are coming in.”

The number of personnel to guard against harassment went up from two people to several. Just a few yards away from the tent, a few of them stood in a group. The atmosphere outside the vote center has gotten calmer since this morning, Saldana said.

“We just try to uplift the voices of our tribal members,” Saldana said. “These are the candidates that are going to have to work with our tribal leaders to be able to enhance opportunities, not only on the reservation but in our smaller towns like Guadalupe, like Penjamo, which is Scottsdale.”

– Kirsten Dorman

4:15 p.m. Pima County voting center confusion

Geri said that she went to vote at Fellowship Bible Church on East Broadway Boulevard to cast her ballot, but found that it was not an actual voting center.

“I had to go on the internet and search for another location. But what about if you didn’t have a car? What if you were on a bike? Then what?”

She made the trek over to Murphy-Wilmot Library, a couple miles away, because voting is important to her. As for issues, she said “everything is important,” especially abortion and reproductive rights. But Geri isn’t thrilled with any of the candidates.

“You vote for the less evil of them,” she said. “There are a lot of crooks out there we need to get out of office.”

“I just want things to go back to the way they were,” she said of the state of American politics.

– John Washington

4 p.m. “I just want to vote”

Catherine Smith Wilmore showed up at the Murphy-Wilmot Library to cast her ballot.

“I just want to vote,” Catherine said. “I ain’t worrying about which party, I just want the best people to win.”

Catherine said she was exhausted by all the attack ads.

She was turned away from the polls because she hadn’t updated her address since recently moving. She had to drive back to her apartment to try to find a copy of her lease to prove her current residence.

“I just want the best. I’m not troubled, I’m not nervous, I’m not scared of nothing. As long as I got God with me, I’m good.”

She said she doesn’t remember all of the candidates’ names, it’s the issues she cares about, and “that they’re right in their heart.”

– John Washington

2:15 p.m. Abortion drove these voters to the polls

A “hope for change” led Monique Pazos, 30, to vote at lunchtime at Woods Memorial Library on First Avenue near Prince Road in Tucson. She was there with Morgan Patterson, 29, and Patterson’s daughter Laila, 6.

For both of them, the abortion issue was a key reason they were voting. “We already fought for this,” said Pazos, a medical assistant who was wearing scrubs and waiting in a long line to cast a vote. She’s been registered to vote since she was 18, but this is her third time voting, she said.

What does 6-year-old Laila think? “The most important issue in the United States is rent is too high,” she said.

Next to them in line, Dwayne Arnspiger, 53, said he always votes. This time he’s “voting against the perpetuation of the Big Lie, voting against the loss of women’s rights.”

Arnspiger said he didn’t mind the 40-minute wait to vote at the library. As a regular voter, he likes the experience of standing in line with his fellow citizens and interacting with poll workers, he said.

– Becky Pallack

1:45 p.m. Broken tabulation machines frustrate voters in Maricopa County

Nicholas Armberger, 30, said that a broken tabulation machine kept him from voting when he came to fill out his ballot at the Biltmore Fashion Park vote center.

He said that the on-site polling volunteer told him that they weren’t sure what was wrong with the machine, but that they hoped to have it fixed by 6 p.m. All vote centers in Maricopa County close at 7 p.m.

“It seems kind of goofy and kind of stupid that literally, on Election Day, we have not-working equipment,” he said. “Especially on the day that you’re expected to be able to vote.”

Changing locations poses a problem for Armberger, in particular: He does not have a car. He said he’s now going to walk to the nearest polling station he can find, just as he walked to this one.

“I’m actually not going to work now, because of this, so I’m not getting paid,” Armberger said. “But I’m going to put in the effort to vote. It matters.”

Poll workers did not give Armberger any direction on where else he could go to vote, or where he could find resources to direct him to another polling location, he said.

The vote center at Biltmore Fashion Park has been especially busy, with the line building up to as many as 80 people at a time according to the Maricopa County elections department website.

Maricopa voters who have been turned away from a vote center because of the issues can find another center on the elections website here.

– Kirsten Dorman

1:30 p.m. Judge blocks Cochise County’s proposed hand count of ballots

Kelly Jackson came to drop off his mail-in ballot at the Biltmore Fashion Park vote center in Phoenix.  He was wearing a mask and a red Arizona Cardinals cap. “I’m here to vote,” he said, the smile on his face reflecting how proud he was to participate in Election Day.

No matter what’s on the ballot, Jackson said, “I vote in every election. It’s just what you’re supposed to do.”

Originally from Colorado, Jackson said he wants to see conspiracy theories no longer dominating conversations about Arizona and national elections. It is time to see “some intelligent people back in politics,” and past time to rid U.S. elections of people spouting disinformation, he said.

Although he normally mails in his ballot, he felt it was important that he made sure his vote arrived in time, so he decided to drop it off himself.

Jackson said he trusts in U.S. elections.

The voting system in Arizona works, he said, and it’s time for people to stop acting like it does not. Jackson blasted the recent suggestions from conspiracy theorists calling for a mandatory full-hand count of ballots that needlessly draw out the election process.

On Monday, a Pima County Superior Court judge blocked Cochise County from conducting a full-hand count of ballots. Republican officials supported the unusual election plan while promoting false concerns that ballot-counting machines are untrustworthy.

Cochise County Recorder David Stevens defended the measure, which would have changed the current election system of counting a sample of ballots by hand and expanded it to a lengthy hand count of tens of thousands of ballots.

Members of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans sued to stop the proposed changes to elections procedures, arguing that the current law mandates only a small count of ballots to check if voting machines are accurate, while a full count could delay election results.

Cochise County Elections Director Lisa Marra also opposed the full hand count, testifying that it could delay results and imperil ballot security, according to an Associated Press report.

– Kirsten Dorman

1 p.m.: “We’ll keep voting until we die”

Volunteers from two election monitoring groups, Poll Chaplains and Election Protection, are working on their tans, as Reverend Bart Smith put it. The volunteers are working at the at the Pima County vote center at El Pueblo Senior Center near Irvington Road and Interstate 19 in Tucson

Election Protection volunteers have phone numbers on their t-shirts and are monitoring to answer questions and report any problems.

The chaplains are “doing same thing as them, but in a prayerful way,” according to Pastor Gerald Richard.

A woman in a truck pulls up and yells over: “This where I drop off my ballot? Does it matter where I live?”

With vote centers replacing the traditional precinct model, it doesn’t matter.

Two elderly cousins, Adrian Montijo and Maria Guevera, both masked, explained that they’ve been voting for decades.

“Muchas cosas están en peligro,” Adrián said. “El descontrol de las calles, armas en todas partes. Necesitamos un cambio.”

Maria said that the governor’s race is particularly important for her because of the border. She called Ducey’s recent boxcar border wall “puro dinero gastado,” and said that it wasn’t going to stop people anyway.

“We’ll keep voting until we die,” Adrian said.

Paul C. Templeton, a lifelong south Tucson resident, said he’s “sick and tired of Dems getting away with anything.

The border is wide open, and they fired so many people because they refused to get the vaccine.”

He supports Republican candidate for governor, Kari Lake, because she says she won’t require anyone to get the vaccine.

– John Washington

12:45 p.m.: Mid-day lines at vote centers in Pima County

People’s reasons for voting vary widely, of course.

Why did Edward wait in line 40 minutes at lunchtime to vote at the Woods Memorial Library today? “I’m Black!” He says with a laugh and a knowing smile. It’s been “a while” since he’s voted.

“It wasn’t important until today. Every vote counts.” he says.

Edward said he’s worried about disinformation. He describes himself as a devout Christian, and says only God can tell us what’s happening, although a lot of politicians seem to have a God complex, he says. 

He wants to vote for people who want to help and serve, not people who want to rule, he says.

The Woods library is located along First Avenue just south of Prince Road. Voters were saying the wait was around 40 minutes at mid-day, 12-1 p.m.

At the University of Arizona campus vote center at 12:45 p.m, about 30-40 people wait in line.

UA student Eliza Moher waited about 10 minutes to vote and says the process was smooth and easy. It was her first time voting in Arizona and she said it was important because the fate of the country is at stake.

– Becky Pallack and Michael McKisson

Noon: The Funky Latina

Elyssa Bustamante, AKA the Funky Latina, is a music blogger, event planner and CEO of Funky Latina Productions.  Outside the polling site at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, she is teaming up with Joy to the Polls, a non-partisan organization, to do just that.

Standing in front of a truck and trailer with speakers and DJs playing upbeat music, Bustamante greets passersby: “Happy Election Day!”

“They, just like me, use the power of music to unite people,” said Bustamante.  “We want to make sure that Election Day is something that you celebrate, that you have access to, and that hopefully while you’re waiting in line, we can bring you a little joy through music.”

An Arizona native, Bustamante said she hopes people will take advantage of resources, and not be ashamed of there is something they are unsure of or don’t know.

“I believe that we have the power to shape our community and one way to do that is through voting,” she said.

– Kirsten Dorman

11:30 a.m.: More from the Pascua Yaqui vote center

Arturo Morillo, 72, only had his tribal ID, and the new scanners weren’t reading it. He and his granddaughter, Isidora, were told he could file a provisional ballot, but he wanted his vote counted today. He said he votes Democrat. “I want to change the way things are right now.”

He and his granddaughter are on their way home to get utility bills in his name, and are hoping to return and be able to cast their ballots.

Pilar Thomas, a Pascua Yaqui member and law professor, who is offering information to voters and logging problems, was present as part of the Every Native Vote Counts program. She said that voter ID requirements disproportionately block native votes. “That’s part of the problem with Prop 309,” she said, a ballot proposition that requires more stringent verification documentation prior to voting.

– John Washington

11 a.m.: Technology for visually impaired voters

Retired firefighter Jay Rasmussen, 61, went to vote with friends from Saavi Services for the Blind. It’s his first time voting in Arizona (he hails from Wisconsin) and he said he wanted to exercise his right to vote.

Rasmussen, who is blind, had helped test Pima County’s voting machine technology for people with visual impairments about a month ago.

Electronic voting machines allow him to cast his own vote by hearing the options on headphones, instead of having someone fill out a ballot for him.

Still, the technology could be better, he said outside the polling place, wearing a fire department jacket and an “I Voted” sticker. He wishes it was more like the screen-reading tech that’s built in to his smartphone.

– Becky Pallack

10:45 a.m.: Pascua Yaqui voters

Joe, 31, a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe in Southern Arizona, said “the right to vote, the right to make decisions, to make your voice heard, is why I came out.” He thinks Proposition 308 is particularly important.

“If they live here and work, they should have the same rights to go to school as the rest of us.”

He said, “Of course there are suspicions” about the fairness of the election, but hopes it’ll be fair and without controversy. “I gotta get back to work,” he said.

Jessica Mendoza, a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, said it’s women’s rights, reproductive health that she’s most nervous about.

“I’m just scared for democracy, I’ve been scared for a while.”

Indigeneous issues and sovereignty, as well as marijuana legalization are other key issues for her, she said.

“They need to legalize it at the federal level, so people will stop getting arrested. It’s harm reduction. Good for our community.”

– John Washington

10:30 a.m.: “Where does the madness stop?”

Women’s health and the state of democracy drew Luis and Erin to a vote center on the north side of Tucson near the Rillito River and Dodge Boulevard today. The couple voted together.

“The rhetoric has gotten pretty divisive recently,” Luis said. “I wanted to vote for people who could help tone that down.”

Luis said he has never doubted the election process. Following the news, he said, it seemed to him there was no basis for the claim of fraud and it seemed like certain candidates who promulgated that story were doing so because the votes weren’t in their favor.

This time, he just hopes the results are accepted.

‘“I lost and I didn’t want to’ isn’t enough impetus for a probe,” he said. “And then the probe turned up nothing. Where does the madness stop?”

– Becky Pallack

10:15 a.m.: 20% of Maricopa voting locations are having issues processing ballots

If you find yourself at one of the 20% of voting locations reportedly experiencing issues in Maricopa County, you can drop your ballot into a secure ballot box on site. Maricopa County Recorder’s Office tweeted that poll workers at affected locations are “being equipped to help you ensure your ballot cast.”

According to Bill Gates, the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, tabulators at affected locations are experiencing issues processing ballots. Voters who run into this issue can deposit their ballot into a secure ballot box instead.

“Those ballots will be kept for later this evening, when we’ll bring them in here to central count to tabulate them,” Gates said.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said the way the tabulation of those ballots will work is similar to the early voting process already in place, except that these ballots would already be considered signature-verified.

“This is actually what the majority of Arizona counties do on Election Day all the time,” said Richer.

Gates reminded voters that “it doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you’re a registered voter here in Maricopa County.”

According to the county elections department, the county is “about 98% staffed” at the 223 voting centers open today. To find locations and view wait times, check the “Where To Vote” portal on the elections department website. All vote centers will be open until 7pm.

– Kirsten Dorman

9:45 a.m.: You do not need an ID to drop off your ballot

Mary DeCamp, 65, veteran poll worker, is inspired to volunteer because of “civic duty.” “I love my community.” As she was talking a woman with ballot in hand asked her if she needs an ID to drop it off. Mary has been getting that question a lot, and said there’s definitely more confusion about ID requirements than previously. You do not need an ID to drop off your ballot.

Jules, 32, dropped off her ballot and said that inside the voting center there are poll workers doing crosswords and “being super helpful and sweet.”

-John Washington

9:30 a.m.: Governor’s race bringing out voters in Pima County

A slow trickle of voters in and out of Davis Bilingual Elementary alongside late parents dropping off their kids. Two election workers sitting on school chairs, eating pastries in the morning sun.

Margaret, 25, came out for the governor’s race. “I’m mostly happy to not have Ducey anymore.” She voted party line Democrat, and is most interested in climate change and abortion. “There’s been a lot of crazy talk on the news,” she said, and is hoping our next governor will be at least “reasonable.”

Richard, 64, a lifelong Tucson voter, went to his old polling place at a local church, and had to call the number on the back of his voting card when he found it closed. Pima County recently moved to a new vote center model. Davis Elementary is just east of I-10 along St. Mary’s Road.

“I like Kari Lake,” he said, about what got him out today. He voted for Democrats all his life, but thinks they stole the last election. “Who actually voted for Biden?” he asked. “I like her personality,” he said of Lake. “She’s not afraid of the media. She’s got that fire.”

Richard said he didn’t think this election would be fair either. “If results don’t get in until Friday, that gives them the time to cheat.” But he thinks it will at least be better than 2020. Immigration and the economy are his two key issues.

– John Washington

9 a.m.: When will election results be ready?

Counties will begin reporting results from early ballots at 8 p.m.

A big chunk of voting machines are not working in Maricopa County

8 a.m.: What to expect today

Polls opened at 6 a.m. this morning, but Arizonans have been casting their ballots — by early drop off or by mail — for nearly a month. This is the first statewide and federal election since a series of controversies — and a falsely contested election — rocked the nation around the 2020 general election.

Polls will be open until 7 p.m. Registered voters in Pima County and Maricopa County can vote at any vote center. Find a Pima County vote center here. Find a Maricopa County vote center here.

The marquee races for Arizona governor (Democrat Katie Hobbs vs. Republican Kari Lake), secretary of state (Republican Mark Finchem vs. Democrat Adrian Fontes), state attorney general (Democrat Kris Mayes vs. Republican Abraham Hamedeh), and the U.S. Senate seat (incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly vs. Republican Blake Masters) have garnered most of the attention. But there are a number of down ballot elections and propositions that will influence everyday life in the state, and many seats in the state senate and house will turn over after redistricting.

Voting and elections itself are on the ballot today. Various candidates, including Lake, have questioned voting integrity and suggested they may not accept the results. Both Lake and Finchem have falsely stated that Biden did not legitimately win the 2020 election.

Amidst the warnings and false claims, polling places themselves have recently become sites of controversy. Last week a federal judge blocked some efforts of groups monitoring ballot drop-off locations. According to the federal order, ballot-watch groups may not yell at people, get too close, or openly carry firearms within 250 feet of drop boxes.

As armed “ballot watchers” have tried to maintain a presence at drop boxes, in the past months, according to recent reporting from Reuters, Maricopa County election officials have received as many as 140 threats — including threats of death and torture.

Despite serious snafus in the primaries, election officials maintain this vote will be clean and fair. To ensure that, the Justice Department will be monitoring the polls in 24 different states today, including in Maricopa, Pima, Navajo, Pinal, and Yavapai counties. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights division will be receiving complaints at https://civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone toll-free at 800-253-3931.

Other Issues to be Decided

How Arizonans are able to access abortion, or are criminalized for offering or perhaps even seeking care, is at least partially controlled by the state attorney general and county attorneys. Besides the statewide race for attorney general, the Maricopa County race between Democrat Julie Gunnigle and Republican Rachel Mitchell offers sharply differing views on reproductive health.

Should non-citizen Arizona students be allowed to access in-state tuition? A yes vote on Proposition 308, previously covered by Arizona Luminaria, would allow non-citizen students to access in-state tuition when they’ve graduated from another Arizona school. A no vote would require them to pay full out-of-state tuition.

Stay Tuned

We will provide rolling updates, reactions, and insight here throughout the day and possibly the week as we visit vote centers, watch parties, and listen to Arizona voters and candidates.

Let Arizona Luminaria know what you’re seeing and experiencing. Contact info@azluminaria.org or reporter John Washington: jwashington@azluminaria.org, or reach him on Twitter: @jbwashing

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Arizona Election Day 2022: How and why Arizonans came out to vote

by Arizona Luminaria staff, AZ Luminaria
November 8, 2022

<h1>Arizona Election Day 2022: How and why Arizonans came out to vote</h1> <p class="byline">by Arizona Luminaria staff, AZ Luminaria <br />November 8, 2022</p> <p class="has-large-font-size">Polls closed in Arizona at 7 p.m. Tuesday. <a href="https://results.arizona.vote/#/featured/33/0">Find results as they come in here</a> on the Secretary of State's website.</p> <p><strong>8:50 p.m. Democrats cheer for Arizona wins</strong></p> <p>Priya Sundareshan, a candidate for Arizona Senate, erupts in a cheer as Pam Powers Hannley, gripping a microphone,&nbsp;reads early results at an Election Night party with the Pima County Democrats.</p> <p>Local candidates for school boards and their supporters also react to early results at a Pima County Democrats Election Night party.</p> <p><em>- Becky Pallack</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_0958-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9674" /></figure> <p><strong>8:45 p.m. Republicans cheer for Arizona wins</strong></p> <p>Shelley Kais, Chair of Pima County GOP, told Arizona Luminaria that though there were some slight technical issues at vote centers, “There was nothing significant enough to affect the outcome of the election.”</p> <p>Kais said she is confident that Juan Ciscomani will win his congressional race, and that voters might see decisive wins in that race, as well as with Kari Lake for governor as early as Election Night.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Linda Evans, a candidate for State House District 18, is&nbsp;“not confident&nbsp;at all” she can win. She blamed redistricting and more Democratic leaning areas.</p> <p>Laughing, Evans<strong> </strong>talked about what she chose to wear at a GOP party — a sparkling azure-colored blouse — a sign that represented her independence compared to traditional Republicans. </p> <p>“We are representatives, and we should be working for the people,&nbsp;or for ourselves,” she said. Evans said she knocked on more than 3,000 doors throughout her campaign. She doesn’t&nbsp;plan to stop talking to her community, no matter the results.</p> <p>Stu Grobk, who lives nearby,&nbsp;said, “I’m&nbsp;sort of a federalist, so for me&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;about government overreach.&nbsp;I’m&nbsp;focused on the mistakes of Biden,&nbsp;Afghanistan,&nbsp;the war in energy,&nbsp;the woke stuff&nbsp;with kids and history.” </p> <p>He said he generally trusts the election, though&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;a work in progress, and he expects big wins for the GOP this week.</p> <p>The watch party is punctuated by occasional whoops and applause as the Fox News broadcast shows GOP leading in some races.</p> <p>By 9pm, the crowd is thinning.</p> <p><em>– John Washington</em></p> <p><strong>8:05 p.m. Arizona starts waiting, reporting early results</strong></p> <p>Arizonans are anxiously watching election results in a region that has drawn attention for election-deniers and for shifting toward a competitive "purple" state. </p> <p>With just more than 50% of precincts reporting, it is too early to call elections in key races such as the Senate race between Democrat incumbent Mark Kelly and Republican challenger Blake Masters. </p> <p><a href="https://results.arizona.vote/#/featured/33/0">Check out Arizona's election results.</a></p> <p>- Dianna M. Náñez</p> <p><strong>8 p.m. Police called on man impersonating poll worker at Tucson vote center</strong></p> <p>The Tucson Police Department responded to calls when a man wearing a shirt that made him falsely appear to be a poll worker refused to leave the Eckstrom-Columbus Library vote center in Tucson, said Mark Evans, a spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff's Department. </p> <p>"The vote center had to call the police because of the confusion he was creating and wasn't leaving," he said.</p> <p>- Dianna M. Náñez</p> <p><strong>7:45 p.m. Pima County Democrats watch results</strong></p> <p>Shelly Burgoyne,&nbsp;executive director of the Pima County Democratic Party, said the local party members are “hopeful and confident” waiting for early results to roll in.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_0949-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9659" width="803" height="601" /></figure> <p>They are also confident in the election process and the way the Pima County Recorder runs elections, she said. Democrats did not publicize the watch party location, citing security concerns.</p> <p><em>- Becky Pallack</em></p> <p><strong>7:10 p.m. Pima County Republicans watch results</strong></p> <p>“All in all Pima County had a successful election today,” said Shelley Kais, GOP Pima County Chair.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6505-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9654" width="800" height="599" /></figure> <p>Republican voters started to gather in the courtyard at St. Philip's Plaza to watch election results roll in.</p> <p><em>– John Washington</em></p> <p><strong>7 p.m. Immigration issues and voters want options: "I want&nbsp;better Republican&nbsp;candidates."</strong></p> <p>Edgar Andre López, 23, doesn’t trust mail-in ballots, so he wanted to vote in person. A dual-citizen, he’s also eligible to vote in Mexico. </p> <p>“My dad taught me how important it is to vote," he said. "You can’t complain about the state of things if you don’t get out and vote.”</p> <p>Edgar believes there’s more potential for collaboration than reason to fear immigration. The border wall and the vilification of immigrants are key issues for him. </p> <p>“We need to reach agreements and support each other, not fight migrants” he said.</p> <p>The full moon and and orange buzz from the elementary school lights&nbsp;lit up the line of about 60 people.&nbsp;Folks were in Amazon delivery uniforms, running gear, Army fatigues, and hoodies against the evening chill.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6504-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9646" /></figure> <p>Reed, 35, was dropping off his mom’s ballot and there to vote in person. He was voting the Democratic ticket, but said, “Despite what Republicans might think,&nbsp;I want&nbsp;better Republican&nbsp;candidates. I want the option.”</p> <p>Right now, he said,&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;so polarized that he&nbsp;doesn’t&nbsp;have to pay close attention to the races. “Because it’s clear, you just see, ‘Oh,&nbsp;you’re&nbsp;the crazy candidate, I know I&nbsp;can’t&nbsp;vote for you.’” </p> <p>He said that a better democracy is one where you have real options.</p> <p><em>– John Washington</em></p> <p><strong>6:40 p.m. Long lines, long waits as polls poised to close</strong></p> <p>About 60 people are still in line at Rio Vista Elementary School in Tucson with more than a half hour wait and voters still arriving. Voters in line by 7 p.m. are legally allowed to vote even if they cast their ballot after the time polls close. People who arrive after 7 p.m. must be turned away.</p> <p><em>- John Washington</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6502-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9643" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Long lines at Rio Vista Elementary School voting center in Tucson as polls ready to close at 7 p.m. </figcaption></figure> <p><strong>5:15 p.m.: Maricopa's tabulation issues and apologies</strong></p> <p>Roughly 30% of Maricopa County’s 223 voting sites were affected by tabulation issues today. Officials said they have identified the issue, and a possible solution. </p> <p>According to officials with the Maricopa County Elections Department, the solution “has worked at 17 locations, and technicians deployed throughout the county are working to resolve this issue at remaining locations.”</p> <p>Maricopa County Recorder, Stephen Richer, publicly apologized in a letter on his personal Twitter account.</p> <p>“I am very sorry for any voter who has been frustrated or inconvenienced today in Maricopa County,” he wrote. “Every legal vote will be tabulated. I promise.”</p> <p>Bill Gates is the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.</p> <p>“County technicians have changed the printer settings which seems to have resolved the issue,” Gates said in a press conference. “It appears some of the printers were not producing dark enough timing marks on some of the ballots.”</p> <p>Voters experiencing issues with tabulators at their voting centers have been encouraged to place their completed ballots in a secure ballot box on site, or take them to another voting center.</p> <p><em>- Kirsten Dorman</em></p> <p><strong>4:50 p.m. More location confusion</strong></p> <p>Two locations on Tucson's east side hung signs after last minute changes or confusion about being vote centers. At Hilton Tucson East and Fellowship Bible Church, both on East Broadway, signs were posted directing potential voters to "Mercy Wilmot Library" (which is actually Murphy-Wilmot Library) or Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0388-1024x713.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9607" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A voter attempts to drop off their ballot at the Fellowship Bible Church, which was an early ballot drop-off site but not a vote center. Dozens of voters were confused about where to drop off their ballot. One person looking to drop off their ballot said it seemed like it was purposely difficult.</figcaption></figure> <p>At Fellowship Bible Church, in the space of a few minutes, at least a dozen potential voters parked and got out of their cars with ballots in hand. Others were looking not to drop off a ballot but to vote in person.</p> <p>The pastor of the church, Kevin Taylor, said that the confusion likely came because the location was an an early voting site until yesterday. In previous elections the church was a precinct voting site.</p> <p>"I told them," he said, referring to the county recorder, "from the beginning that it's going to be confusing." Kevin said he called the recorder's office this morning after people showed up trying to vote. The recorder's office sent some more signs to set up.</p> <p>By the afternoon, those signs were either largely ignored or had fallen down in the wind. Voters who spoke to Arizona Luminaria expressed both confusion and frustration. "I don't know why they have to make it so hard," one voter said, as she and her sister, neither of whom wanted to share their names, left to try and find a vote center.</p> <p><em>- John Washington</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0288-1024x717.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9591" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A sign at the Hilton Tucson East hotel on East Broadway directs voters to the "Mercy Wilmot Library" — actually the Murphy-Wilmot Library</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>4:45 p.m. Yaqui Vote</strong></p> <p>Adam Reyes, 35, came straight from his job at the Wild Horse Casino to the voting center in Guadalupe’s El Tianguis Mercado to cast his ballot this afternoon. Before this, he said he’d never really voted.</p> <p>“With everything that’s going on in the world, it just feels good to get out and do something, if you can, about it,” Reyes said. “It definitely feels good to get out and vote with the people here.”</p> <p>He held up the t-shirt he had gotten from Yaqui Vote, showing it off.</p> <p>"My local tribe, they're giving out t-shirts just for voting," he said with a smile.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_9056-1024x747.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9614" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Adam Reyes shows off the shirt he got from Yaqui Vote.</figcaption></figure> <p>The voting process here was easy and pleasant according to Reyes.</p> <p>“There was all sorts of different people in there — Democrats, Republicans,” he said.<br />Reyes said that for him, giving back to the community means everything from voting in hopes of boosting the local economy to participating in an upcoming community bike ride. Specifically, he said he’s looking forward to getting out and riding with his community in El Tour de Tucson, a bike ride sponsored by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.</p> <p><em>- Kirsten Dorman </em></p> <p><strong>4:30 p.m. Voter intimidation reported in Guadalupe</strong></p> <p>Jose-Enrique Saldana is the assistant to the Tribal Administrator in Guadalupe, and the Guadalupe representative for Yaqui Vote, a non-partisan organization. Today, he is at the voting center in Guadalupe’s El Tianguis Mercado.</p> <p>Saldana and a handful of Yaqui Vote personnel have been there all day, sitting under a canopy tent outside. Folding tables show off the stickers, candy, and t-shirts they have been giving away. Several people stopped by on their way out of the voting center, many of them taking a few stickers and a piece of candy.</p> <p>Roughly half of Guadalupe’s population is made up of members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, said Saldana, and Yaqui Vote is camped out to make sure those who come to vote feel comfortable doing so.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_9059-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9574" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jose-Enrique Saldana, the assistant to the Tribal Administrator in Guadalupe, Arizona at the vote center there.</figcaption></figure> <p>“The reason we’re here is not only because our members are here, but we also believe that representation matters,” Saldana said.</p> <p>He said he hopes that if Pascua Yaqui members see people that look like them, they will come forward with questions they may have about the voting process. Saldana recalled being here for the 2020 presidential election to do the same thing, and said he feels the tension and levels of voter intimidation have only ramped up since then.</p> <p>“Just this morning we were having a lot of voter intimidation [reported] to the Native Vote Protection Hotline,” he said. “There were people that were passing the 75-foot limit and trying to shove literature [into] voters’ hands. Just talking about their choice of candidates, and trying to shove their ideology amongst others — and not only our tribe members, but our town residents and voters that are coming in.”</p> <p>The number of personnel to guard against harassment went up from two people to several. Just a few yards away from the tent, a few of them stood in a group. The atmosphere outside the vote center has gotten calmer since this morning, Saldana said.</p> <p>“We just try to uplift the voices of our tribal members,” Saldana said. “These are the candidates that are going to have to work with our tribal leaders to be able to enhance opportunities, not only on the reservation but in our smaller towns like Guadalupe, like Penjamo, which is Scottsdale.”</p> <p><em>- Kirsten Dorman </em></p> <p><strong>4:15 p.m. Pima County voting center confusion</strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0324-200x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9596" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Geri outside the Murphy Wilmot Library vote center in Pima County Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p>Geri said that she went to vote at Fellowship Bible Church on East Broadway Boulevard to cast her ballot, but found that it was not an actual voting center. </p> <p>"I had to go on the internet and search for another location. But what about if you didn't have a car? What if you were on a bike? Then what?"</p> <p>She made the trek over to Murphy-Wilmot Library, a couple miles away, because voting is important to her. As for issues, she said "everything is important," especially abortion and reproductive rights. But Geri isn't thrilled with any of the candidates.</p> <p>"You vote for the less evil of them," she said. "There are a lot of crooks out there we need to get out of office."</p> <p>"I just want things to go back to the way they were," she said of the state of American politics.</p> <p><em>- John Washington </em></p> <p><strong>4 p.m. "I just want to vote"</strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0354-756x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9598" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Catherine Smith Wilmore hunts for a secondary ID outside the Murphy-Wilmot Library. She said her registration was under her old address. She left the vote center to go home and get the lease to prove her new address.</figcaption></figure> <p>Catherine Smith Wilmore showed up at the Murphy-Wilmot Library to cast her ballot.</p> <p>"I just want to vote," Catherine said. "I ain't worrying about which party, I just want the best people to win."</p> <p>Catherine said she was exhausted by all the attack ads.</p> <p>She was turned away from the polls because she hadn't updated her address since recently moving. She had to drive back to her apartment to try to find a copy of her lease to prove her current residence. </p> <p>"I just want the best. I'm not troubled, I'm not nervous, I'm not scared of nothing. As long as I got God with me, I'm good." </p> <p>She said she doesn't remember all of the candidates' names, it's the issues she cares about, and "that they're right in their heart."</p> <p><em>- John Washington </em></p> <p><strong>2:15 p.m. Abortion drove these voters to the polls</strong></p> <p>A "hope for change" led Monique Pazos, 30, to vote at lunchtime at Woods Memorial Library on First Avenue near Prince Road in Tucson. She was there with Morgan Patterson, 29, and Patterson's daughter Laila, 6.</p> <p>For both of them, the abortion issue was a key reason they were voting. "We already fought for this," said Pazos, a medical assistant who was wearing scrubs and waiting in a long line to cast a vote. She's been registered to vote since she was 18, but this is her third time voting, she said.</p> <p>What does 6-year-old Laila think? "The most important issue in the United States is rent is too high," she said.</p> <p>Next to them in line, Dwayne Arnspiger, 53, said he always votes. This time he's "voting against the perpetuation of the Big Lie, voting against the loss of women's rights."</p> <p>Arnspiger said he didn't mind the 40-minute wait to vote at the library. As a regular voter, he likes the experience of standing in line with his fellow citizens and interacting with poll workers, he said.</p> <p><em>- Becky Pallack</em></p> <p><strong>1:45 p.m. Broken tabulation machines frustrate voters in Maricopa County</strong></p> <p>Nicholas Armberger, 30, said that a broken tabulation machine kept him from voting when he came to fill out his ballot at the Biltmore Fashion Park vote center.</p> <p>He said that the on-site polling volunteer told him that they weren’t sure what was wrong with the machine, but that they hoped to have it fixed by 6 p.m. All vote centers in Maricopa County close at 7 p.m.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_9050-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9542" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nicholas Armberger said a broken tabulation machine kept him from voting at Biltmore Fashion Park vote center Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p>“It seems kind of goofy and kind of stupid that literally, on Election Day, we have not-working equipment,” he said. “Especially on the day that you’re expected to be able to vote.”</p> <p>Changing locations poses a problem for Armberger, in particular: He does not have a car. He said he’s now going to walk to the nearest polling station he can find, just as he walked to this one.</p> <p>“I’m actually not going to work now, because of this, so I’m not getting paid,” Armberger said. “But I’m going to put in the effort to vote. It matters.”</p> <p>Poll workers did not give Armberger any direction on where else he could go to vote, or where he could find resources to direct him to another polling location, he said.</p> <p>The vote center at Biltmore Fashion Park has been especially busy, with the line building up to as many as 80 people at a time according to the Maricopa County elections department website.</p> <p>Maricopa voters who have been turned away from a vote center because of the issues can find another center <a href="https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html">on the elections website here</a>. </p> <p><em>- Kirsten Dorman</em></p> <p><strong>1:30 p.m. Judge blocks Cochise County's proposed hand count of ballots</strong></p> <p>Kelly Jackson came to drop off his mail-in ballot at the Biltmore Fashion Park vote center in Phoenix.&nbsp; He was wearing a mask and a red Arizona Cardinals cap. "I'm here to vote," he said, the smile on his face reflecting how proud he was to participate in Election Day.</p> <p>No matter what's on the ballot, Jackson said, "I vote in every election. It's just what you're supposed to do."</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_9038-556x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9539" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kelly Jackson drops off his ballot at the Biltmore Fashion Park vote center in Phoenix Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p>Originally from Colorado, Jackson said he wants to see conspiracy theories no longer dominating conversations about Arizona and national elections. It is time to see "some intelligent people back in politics," and past time to rid U.S. elections of people spouting disinformation, he said.</p> <p>Although he normally mails in his ballot, he felt it was important that he made sure his vote arrived in time, so he decided to drop it off himself.</p> <p>Jackson said he trusts in U.S. elections.</p> <p>The voting system in Arizona works, he said, and it's time for people to stop acting like it does not. Jackson blasted the recent suggestions from conspiracy theorists calling for a mandatory full-hand count of ballots that needlessly draw out the election process.</p> <p>On Monday, a Pima County Superior Court judge blocked Cochise County from conducting a full-hand count of ballots. Republican officials supported the unusual election plan while promoting false concerns that ballot-counting machines are untrustworthy.</p> <p>Cochise County Recorder David Stevens defended the measure, which would have changed the current election system of counting a sample of ballots by hand and expanded it to a lengthy hand count of tens of thousands of ballots.</p> <p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-government-and-politics-a00d2f701cb51f6938ae20e46bfded4e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Members of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans sued</a>&nbsp;to stop the proposed changes to elections procedures, arguing that the current law mandates only a small count of ballots to check if voting machines are accurate, while a full count could delay election results.</p> <p>Cochise County Elections Director Lisa Marra also opposed the full hand count, testifying that it could delay results and imperil ballot security,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-government-and-politics-714a45e76973de132c84cbde0ca5c1b2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to an Associated Press report</a>.</p> <p><em>- Kirsten Dorman</em></p> <p><strong>1 p.m.: "We'll keep voting until we die"</strong></p> <p>Volunteers from two election monitoring groups, Poll Chaplains and Election Protection, are working on their tans, as&nbsp;Reverend Bart Smith put it. The volunteers are working at the at the Pima County vote center at El Pueblo Senior Center near Irvington Road and Interstate 19 in Tucson</p> <p>Election Protection volunteers have phone numbers on their t-shirts and are monitoring to answer questions and report any problems. </p> <p>The chaplains are “doing same thing as them, but in a prayerful way,” according to Pastor Gerald Richard.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6487-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9529" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Volunteers from two election monitoring groups, Poll Chaplains and Election Protection, work outside the El Pueblo Senior Center on the south side of Tucson Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p>A woman in a truck pulls up and yells over: “This where I drop off my ballot? Does it matter where I live?”</p> <p>With vote centers&nbsp;replacing the traditional precinct model, it&nbsp;doesn’t&nbsp;matter.</p> <p>Two elderly cousins, Adrian Montijo and Maria Guevera, both masked, explained that&nbsp;they’ve&nbsp;been voting for decades. </p> <p>“Muchas cosas están en peligro,” Adrián said. “El descontrol de las calles, armas en todas partes. Necesitamos un cambio.”</p> <p>Maria said that the&nbsp;governor’s&nbsp;race is particularly important for her because of the border. She called Ducey’s recent boxcar border wall “puro dinero gastado,” and said that it&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;going to stop people anyway.</p> <p>“We’ll&nbsp;keep voting until we die,” Adrian said.</p> <p>Paul C. Templeton, a lifelong south Tucson resident, said&nbsp;he’s&nbsp;“sick and tired of Dems getting away with anything. </p> <p>The border is wide open, and they fired so many people because they refused to get the vaccine.”</p> <p>He supports Republican candidate for governor, Kari Lake, because she says she&nbsp;won’t&nbsp;require anyone to get the vaccine.</p> <p><em>- John Washington</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0279-1024x738.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9534" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Voters wait in line at the Pima County vote center on the University of Arizona Campus, Nov. 8, 2022. </figcaption></figure> <p><strong>12:45 p.m.: Mid-day lines at vote centers in Pima County</strong></p> <p>People’s reasons for voting vary widely,&nbsp;of course.</p> <p>Why did Edward wait in line 40 minutes at lunchtime to vote at the Woods Memorial Library today? “I’m&nbsp;Black!” He says with a&nbsp;laugh and a knowing smile.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;been “a while” since&nbsp;he’s&nbsp;voted. </p> <p>“It&nbsp;wasn’t&nbsp;important until today. Every vote counts.” he says.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_0945-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9524" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A voter uses her sample ballot as a hat while she waits in line in the sun to vote at Woods Memorial Library in Tucson Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p>Edward said&nbsp;he’s&nbsp;worried about disinformation.&nbsp;He describes himself as a devout Christian, and says only God can tell us&nbsp;what’s&nbsp;happening,&nbsp;although a lot of politicians seem to have a God complex, he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>He wants to vote for people who want to help and serve, not people who want to rule, he says.</p> <p>The Woods library is located along First Avenue just south of Prince Road. Voters were saying the wait was around 40 minutes at mid-day, 12-1 p.m.</p> <p>At the University of Arizona campus vote center at 12:45 p.m, about 30-40 people wait in line. </p> <p>UA student Eliza Moher waited about 10 minutes to vote and says the process was smooth and easy. It was her first time voting in Arizona and she said it was important because the fate of the country is at stake. </p> <p><em>- Becky Pallack and Michael McKisson</em></p> <p><strong>Noon: The Funky Latina</strong></p> <p>Elyssa Bustamante, AKA the Funky Latina, is a music blogger, event planner and CEO of Funky Latina Productions.&nbsp; Outside the polling site at Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, she is teaming up with <a href="https://popcollab.org/projects/joy-to-the-polls/">Joy to the Polls</a>, a non-partisan organization, to do just that.</p> <p>Standing in front of a truck and trailer with speakers and DJs playing upbeat music, Bustamante greets passersby: “Happy Election Day!”</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_9042-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9516" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elyssa Bustamante, AKA the Funky Latina, a music blogger, event planner and CEO of Funky Latina Productions, is using the power of music to unite people in Phoenix this Election Day. </figcaption></figure> <p>“They, just like me, use the power of&nbsp;music&nbsp;to&nbsp;unite&nbsp;people,” said&nbsp;Bustamante.&nbsp; “We want to make sure&nbsp;that&nbsp;Election Day is&nbsp;something&nbsp;that&nbsp;you&nbsp;celebrate, that you have access to, and that hopefully&nbsp;while you’re&nbsp;waiting in line,&nbsp;we&nbsp;can&nbsp;bring&nbsp;you a little joy&nbsp;through&nbsp;music.”</p> <p>An&nbsp;Arizona&nbsp;native, Bustamante said she hopes people will&nbsp;take advantage&nbsp;of resources, and not be&nbsp;ashamed of there&nbsp;is&nbsp;something&nbsp;they are unsure of or&nbsp;don’t know.</p> <p>“I believe that&nbsp;we have the power to shape&nbsp;our community and one way&nbsp;to&nbsp;do&nbsp;that is&nbsp;through voting,” she said.</p> <p><em>- Kirsten Dorman</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6482-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9510" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A sign outside the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Wellness center south of Valencia Road and west of Mission Road, where Pima County has a vote center Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>11:30 a.m.: More from the Pascua Yaqui vote center</strong></p> <p>Arturo Morillo, 72, only had his tribal ID, and the new scanners weren’t reading it. He and his granddaughter, Isidora, were told he could file a provisional ballot, but he wanted his vote counted today. He said he votes Democrat. “I want to change the way things are right now.”</p> <p>He and his granddaughter are on their way home to get utility bills in his name, and are hoping to return and be able to cast their ballots.</p> <p>Pilar Thomas, a Pascua Yaqui member and law professor, who is offering information to voters and logging problems, was present as part of the<a href="http://www.nativevote.org/"> Every Native Vote Counts</a> program. She said that voter ID requirements disproportionately block native votes. “That’s part of the problem with <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona_Proposition_309,_Voter_Identification_Requirements_for_Mail-In_Ballots_and_In-Person_Voting_Measure_(2022)">Prop 309</a>,” she said, a ballot proposition that requires more stringent verification documentation prior to voting.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/AZLuminaria/status/1590055407506317313 </div> </figure> <p><em>- John Washington</em></p> <p><strong>11 a.m.: Technology for visually impaired voters</strong></p> <p>Retired firefighter Jay Rasmussen, 61, went to vote with friends from <a href="https://saavi.us/about-saavi/">Saavi Services for the Blind</a>.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;his first time voting in Arizona (he hails from Wisconsin) and he said he wanted to exercise his right to vote.</p> <p>Rasmussen, who is blind, had helped test Pima&nbsp;County’s&nbsp;voting machine technology for people with visual impairments about a month ago.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_0936-edited-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9506" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Retired firefighter Jay Rasmussen helped test Pima County's voting machine technology for people with visual impairments about a month ago. He was out voting on the north side of Tucson Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p>Electronic voting machines allow him to cast his own vote by hearing the options on headphones, instead of having someone fill out a ballot for him.</p> <p>Still, the technology could be better, he said outside the polling place,&nbsp;wearing a fire department jacket and an "I Voted" sticker. He wishes it was more like the screen-reading tech&nbsp;that’s&nbsp;built in to his smartphone.</p> <p><em>- Becky Pallack</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6470-edited-576x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9501" width="288" height="512" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jessica Mendoza, a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe in Southern Arizona, voting Nov. 8, 2022.</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>10:45 a.m.: Pascua Yaqui voters</strong></p> <p>Joe, 31, a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe in Southern Arizona, said “the right to vote, the right to make decisions,&nbsp;to make your voice heard, is why I came out.” He thinks <a href="https://azluminaria.org/2022/07/14/bipartisan-supporters-of-prop-308-say-in-state-tuition-for-undocumented-students-will-boost-arizonas-economy/">Proposition 308</a> is particularly important.</p> <p>“If they live here and work, they should have the same rights to go to school as the rest of us."</p> <p>He said,&nbsp;“Of course there are suspicions” about the fairness of the election, but&nbsp;hopes it’ll&nbsp;be fair and without controversy. “I gotta get back to work,” he said.</p> <p>Jessica Mendoza, a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, said it’s women’s rights, reproductive health that she’s most nervous about. </p> <p>“I’m just scared for democracy,&nbsp;I’ve&nbsp;been scared for a while.” </p> <p>Indigeneous issues and sovereignty,&nbsp;as well as marijuana legalization are other key issues for her, she said. </p> <p>“They need to legalize it at the federal level, so people will stop getting arrested.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;harm reduction.&nbsp;Good for our community.”</p> <p><em>- John Washington</em></p> <p><strong>10:30 a.m.: "Where does the madness stop?"</strong></p> <p>Women’s health and the state of democracy drew Luis and Erin to a vote center on the north side of Tucson near the Rillito River and Dodge Boulevard today. The couple voted together.</p> <p>“The rhetoric has gotten pretty divisive recently,” Luis said. “I wanted to vote for people who could help tone that down.”</p> <p>Luis said he has never doubted the election process.&nbsp;Following the news, he said, it seemed to him there was no basis for the claim of fraud and it seemed like certain candidates who promulgated that story were doing so because the votes&nbsp;weren’t&nbsp;in their favor.</p> <p>This time, he just hopes the results are accepted.</p> <p>‘“I lost and I&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;want to’&nbsp;isn’t&nbsp;enough impetus for a probe,” he said. “And then the probe turned up nothing.&nbsp;Where does the madness stop?”</p> <p><em>- Becky Pallack</em></p> <p><strong>10:15 a.m.: 20% of Maricopa voting locations are having issues processing ballots</strong></p> <p>If you find yourself at one of the 20% of voting locations reportedly experiencing issues in Maricopa County, you can drop your ballot into a secure ballot box on site. Maricopa County Recorder’s Office tweeted that poll workers at affected locations are “being equipped to help you ensure your ballot cast.”</p> <p>According to Bill Gates, the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, tabulators at affected locations are experiencing issues processing ballots. Voters who run into this issue can deposit their ballot into a secure ballot box instead.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MaricopaVote/status/1590009384377384961 </div> </figure> <p>“Those ballots will be kept for later this evening, when we’ll bring them in here to central count to tabulate them,” Gates said.</p> <p>Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said the way the tabulation of those ballots will work is similar to the early voting process already in place, except that these ballots would already be considered signature-verified.</p> <p>“This is actually what the majority of Arizona counties do on Election Day all the time,” said Richer.</p> <p>Gates reminded voters that “it doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you’re a registered voter here in Maricopa County.”</p> <p>According to the county elections department, the county is “about 98% staffed” at the 223 voting centers open today. To find locations and view wait times, check the “Where To Vote” portal on the<a href="https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html#Search"> elections department website</a>. All vote centers will be open until 7pm.</p> <p><em>– Kirsten Dorman</em></p> <p><strong>9:45 a.m.: You do not need an ID to drop off your ballot</strong></p> <p>Mary DeCamp, 65, veteran poll worker, is inspired to volunteer because of “civic duty.” “I love my community.” As she was talking a woman with ballot in hand asked her if she needs an ID to drop it off. Mary has been getting that question a lot, and said&nbsp;there’s&nbsp;definitely more confusion about ID requirements than previously.&nbsp;You do not need an ID to drop off your ballot.</p> <p>Jules, 32, dropped off her ballot and said that inside the voting center there are poll workers doing crosswords and “being super helpful and sweet.”</p> <p><em>-John Washington</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IMG_6463-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9478" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pima County poll worker Mary DeCamp says she loves her community. DeCamp ran for Tucson mayor as a Green Party candidate in 2011.</figcaption></figure> <p><strong>9:30 a.m.: Governor's race bringing out voters</strong> <strong>in Pima County</strong></p> <p>A slow trickle of voters in and out of Davis Bilingual Elementary&nbsp;alongside late parents dropping off their kids. Two election workers sitting on school chairs, eating pastries in the morning sun.</p> <p>Margaret, 25, came out for the&nbsp;governor’s&nbsp;race. “I’m&nbsp;mostly happy to not have Ducey anymore.” She voted party line Democrat, and is most interested in climate change and abortion. “There’s&nbsp;been a lot of crazy talk on the news,” she said, and is hoping our next governor will be at least “reasonable.”</p> <p>Richard,&nbsp;64, a lifelong Tucson voter, went to his old polling place at a local church, and had to call the number on the back of his voting card when he found it closed. Pima County recently moved to a new <a href="https://azluminaria.org/2022/07/29/where-to-vote-on-election-day-in-tucson/">vote center model</a>. Davis Elementary is just east of I-10 along St. Mary's Road.</p> <p>“I like Kari Lake,” he said, about what got him out today. He voted for Democrats all his life, but thinks they stole the last election. “Who actually voted for Biden?” he asked. “I like her personality,” he said of Lake. “She’s&nbsp;not afraid of the media.&nbsp;She’s&nbsp;got that fire.”</p> <p>Richard said he&nbsp;didn’t&nbsp;think this election would be fair either. “If results&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;get in until Friday, that gives them the time to cheat.” But he thinks it will at least be better than 2020. Immigration and the economy are his two key issues.</p> <p><em>- John Washington</em></p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0210-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-9483" /></figure> <p><strong>9 a.m.: When will election results be ready?</strong></p> <p>Counties will <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryHobbs/status/1589286616513789953">begin reporting results</a> from early ballots at 8 p.m.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SecretaryHobbs/status/1589286616513789953 </div> </figure> <p>A big chunk of voting machines are not working in Maricopa County</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JenAFifield/status/1590009907381952513 </div> </figure> <p><strong>8 a.m.</strong>: <strong>What to expect today</strong></p> <p>Polls opened at 6 a.m. this morning, but Arizonans have been casting their ballots — by early drop off or by mail — for nearly a month. This is the first statewide and federal election since a series of controversies — and a falsely contested election — rocked the nation around the 2020 general election.</p> <p>Polls will be open until 7 p.m. Registered voters in Pima County and Maricopa County can vote at any vote center. <a href="https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&amp;pageId=844938">Find a Pima County vote center here</a>. <a href="https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html">Find a Maricopa County vote center here</a>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSF0256-1024x825.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-9486" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Voters line up at the Pima County vote center on the University of Arizona campus Nov. 8, 2022 at 8:30 a.m.</figcaption></figure> <p>The marquee races for Arizona governor (Democrat Katie Hobbs vs. Republican Kari Lake), secretary of state (Republican Mark Finchem vs. Democrat Adrian Fontes), state attorney general (Democrat Kris Mayes vs. Republican Abraham Hamedeh), and the U.S. Senate seat (incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly vs. Republican Blake Masters) have garnered most of the attention. But there are a number of down ballot elections and propositions that will influence everyday life in the state, and many seats in the state senate and house will turn over after redistricting.</p> <p>Voting and elections itself are on the ballot today. Various candidates, including Lake, have questioned voting integrity and suggested they may not accept the results. Both Lake and Finchem have falsely stated that Biden did not legitimately win the 2020 election.</p> <div class="wp-block-group has-light-gray-background-color has-background"> </div> <p>Amidst the warnings and false claims, polling places themselves have recently become sites of controversy. Last week a federal judge <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23257286-arizballotboxestro110122">blocked some efforts of groups monitoring ballot drop-off locations</a>. According to the federal order, ballot-watch groups may not yell at people, get too close, or openly carry firearms within 250 feet of drop boxes.</p> <p>As armed “ballot watchers” have tried to maintain a presence at drop boxes, in the past months, according to recent reporting from Reuters, Maricopa County election officials have received as many as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/kill-them-arizona-election-workers-face-midterm-threats-2022-11-06/">140 threats</a> — including threats of death and torture.</p> <p>Despite <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/08/1116394618/arizona-pinal-county-election-woes">serious snafus</a> in the primaries, election officials maintain this vote will be clean and fair. To ensure that, the Justice Department will be <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-polls-24-states-compliance-federal-voting-rights-laws">monitoring the polls</a> in 24 different states today, including in Maricopa, Pima, Navajo, Pinal, and Yavapai counties. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights division will be receiving complaints at <a href="https://civilrights.justice.gov">https://civilrights.justice.gov</a> or by telephone toll-free at <a href="tel:18002533931">800-253-3931</a>.</p> <h3>Other Issues to be Decided</h3> <p>How Arizonans are able to access abortion, or are criminalized for offering or perhaps even seeking care, is at least partially controlled by the state attorney general and county attorneys. Besides the statewide race for attorney general, the Maricopa County race between Democrat Julie Gunnigle and Republican Rachel Mitchell offers <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/10/10/maricopa-county-attorney-becomes-hotly-contested-election/8210485001/">sharply differing views on reproductive health</a>.</p> <p>Should non-citizen Arizona students be allowed to access in-state tuition? A yes vote on Proposition 308, <a href="https://azluminaria.org/2022/07/14/bipartisan-supporters-of-prop-308-say-in-state-tuition-for-undocumented-students-will-boost-arizonas-economy/">previously covered by Arizona Luminaria</a>, would allow non-citizen students to access in-state tuition when they’ve graduated from another Arizona school. A no vote would require them to pay full out-of-state tuition.</p> <h3><strong>Stay Tuned</strong></h3> <p>We will provide rolling updates, reactions, and insight here throughout the day and possibly the week as we visit vote centers, watch parties, and listen to Arizona voters and candidates.</p> <p>Let Arizona Luminaria know what you’re seeing and experiencing. Contact <a href="mailto:info@azluminaria.org">info@azluminaria.org</a> or reporter John Washington: <a href="mailto:jwashington@azluminaria.org">jwashington@azluminaria.org</a>, or reach him on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/jbwashing">@jbwashing</a></p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://azluminaria.org/2022/11/08/arizona-election-day-2022-live-blog/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://azluminaria.org&quot;&gt;AZ Luminaria&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/azluminaria.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/cropped-L-square-Primary.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://azluminaria.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=9459&amp;amp;ga4=291628854&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://azluminaria.org/2022/11/08/arizona-election-day-2022-live-blog/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/azluminaria.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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