A day at the polls: Live updates from the 2024 Arizona Primary Election

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Polls are now closed and Arizona voters decided today who will be on the Nov. 5 general election ballots in races across the state, from Pima County attorney winner Laura Conover to the U.S. Senate where Kari Lake will face Ruben Gallego.

⚠️ We have live results for the U.S. Senate race and Arizona House and Senate here . And results from Pima County are here . ⚠️

Arizona Luminaria reporters spent the day at polling centers today talking with voters about their experiences at the polls, what made them come out to vote and more. Here’s what we saw and heard.

The Grand Old Party party

Carolina Cuellar, 10:15 p.m. at the Pima County Republicans watch party

Republican candidates and supporters gathered at a small restaurant tucked within a Ramada hotel on the east side to watch election results.

The evening’s menu, headlined “Tucson Republican Party,” was laid on all the tables and consisted of traditional American fare like cheeseburgers and chicken strips.

A woman in a red beret and blue Trump shirt walked table to table offering an assortment of Trump gear. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump’s campaign team, donning white hats rather than red, sold merchandise outside the restaurant.

Esteban Flores, who’s running for a seat on the governing board of Tucson Unified School District, watched and mingled as more supporters trickled in. Flores doesn’t have to worry about winning the primary, which he said is a blessing. School board races are nonpartisan.

“That definitely helps to put more focus on reaching the community versus that kind of added-on pressure from trying to beat out a primary opponent, things like that,” he said.

Terry Frederick, who was running against Heather Lappin and Bill Phillips in the Republican primary, was the only Pima County Sheriff candidate in attendance.

Shortly before the first result drop at 8 p.m., Eileen Wilson, the Pima County Republican Party’s second vice chair, said she counted about 112 people in attendance.

Politics and pickleball

John Washington, 8:35 p.m. at Corbett’s

“The path to the White House runs through Arizona,” Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said. “And the path to win Arizona runs through Tucson and Southern Arizona.”

The mayor spoke on stage before a crowd of about 75 at a Pima Democrats watch party at Corbett’s, where a pickleball doubles match was taking place. She repeatedly rallied the crowd, pushing them to donate and volunteer for local and national races. She said she herself was making weekly donations to the Harris campaign.

“Let’s get it done, Dems,” Romero said.

Watching early results with her was Congressional District 6 candidate Kirsten Engel.

“I’m very excited” about today’s early results and looking toward November. She added that with Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, “you can feel the excitement in the air.”

About the border, and differentiating herself from her likely opponent in November, Republican Juan Ciscomani, she noted that “the border has always been a difficult issue.”

Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly took the mic to talk about the election in Arizona.

“I’m the person who has the distinct honor of facilitating an election and is on the ballot,” Cázares-Kelly said. “Our campaign speaks to people, especially young people of color. And we’re going to see massive change when we elect Kamala Harris and when we take back the Arizona legislature,” Cázares-Kelly said.

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover, who won her primary and a second term since there is no Republican opponent, spoke to the crowd as pickleballers continued to smack the ball back and forth on the other side of the waist-high cyclone fence. Conover said that in spite of the “dark money and MAGA money trying to influence an election, we can be victorious.”

“We stayed on the high road every single day, and the high road took us home,” Conover said.

Last-minute voters

John Washington, 6:40 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Roman Catholic Church

Barbara, dropping off her ballot at St. Margaret Mary’s, less than half an hour before polls close, said she’s nervous about November. “The primaries are easy though,” she said. She asked her nephew, who she said works in politics, who she should vote for.

“I just hope they count them all,” Barbara said of the votes, adding that she thinks they will.

“We’re Americans and it’s our right and duty to vote,” she said.

Diego Soto, 18, held up his “I Voted” sticker and posed for a photo with his mother, Alejandra Soto, just outside the St. Margaret Mary’s vote center. They were the last people to cast a ballot at the center today.

Polls closed at 7 p.m.

“I wasn’t even going to vote in the primaries,” Diego said. “I didn’t know who to side with, but now that we have a new presidential candidate, I’m really excited.”

“We’re really excited,” his mother corrected.

Diego said that the politician who has most inspired him is Adelita Grijalva, chair of Pima County Board of Supervisors, who he said he knows personally.

Of voting for the first time, Diego said, “I feel empowered. Just to think that you can say something and your word counts.” Mother and son said they feel just as upbeat about November.

“We have hope,” Alejandra said.

Civic duty and skepticism

Carolina Cuellar, 4:55 p.m. at Morris K. Udall Regional Center

Kathleen Carman, 79, and her husband drove down from the mountains this morning for medical purposes and to cast their ballots. They see voting as their civic duty but Carman wasn’t particularly enthralled.

“I wasn’t really excited about it. But I feel like there’s an obligation to it,” she said.

Carman supports former President Donald Trump for president this upcoming election and his support for Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, gives Carman the confidence to back her as well.

“I don’t know a lot about her, but I do know that Donald Trump is backing her and I like him,” she said.

She said her concern over election integrity was a big motivator for her to vote in person, particularly after Trump lost the last election.

“I feel like in the last presidential election there was a lot of cheating that went on and that the wrong person won,” she said.

Carman has long disagreed with President Joe Biden. She said she has seen him through every step of his political career and hasn’t supported many of his decisions.

She said she feels bad for Democrats due to their options in the upcoming election and thinks it’s important to back the Republican Party.

“We’ve got some real doozies on the other side this year,” she said.

Meanwhile, Christina Kelley, 67, came to vote at the Udall Center right after tending to her garden and caring for her sick husband. While she’s exhausted, she made sure to make time to vote.

“This year is one of the most important years in the history of my voting,” she said, “and I hope we all care enough to get out there and make sure this country continues to be a safe place for all of us.”

One candidate that’s important to Kelley is Laura Conover, the Pima County attorney. She wants to make sure Conover is reelected.

“I think she’s done an absolutely wonderful job,” she said, “and she’s here to make sure that the little guy is taken care of.”

Some important issues to Kelley are immigration, abortion rights and “making sure that we maintain the same level of safety and security” for everyone.

Seeking common ground

Carolina Cuellar, 3:38 p.m. at Morris K. Udall Regional Center

Amy Olsen sat outside greeting people and handing out “Kathleen Winn Congress” buttons to like-minded voters. Winn is a Republican candidate for District 6 of the U.S. House of Representatives, running against incumbent Juan Ciscomani in this primary.

Despite ideological differences, Olsen said she wants to connect with people across the political spectrum.

“I think we can all connect to each other at any level. And so I like to show people that I’m just as friendly as they are, and that we can find some common ground to agree on things,” she said.

Olsen voted in person at the center before she took over the table. She said she only recently became politically active after she felt things had gotten “too extreme.” She’s particularly worried about the border and immigration.

“I think a big issue, and this has to do with the Board of Supervisors, is the illegal immigration and all of my friends that I talked to, all my conservative friends, we want immigrants to come into the country,” she said. “We just want them to come in legally.”

She’s also concerned on a local level. She wants more Republican representation on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Olsen said Steve Christy, the only Republican on the board, keeps getting pushed out and she’d like her side to have more of a voice.

“We’re hoping that we get just more more Republicans on the board, because right now it’s four to one, and it just feels uneven,” she said.

Dana Lewallen exited the polling station at the Morris K. Udall Regional Center into the hot Tucson sun wearing an “I voted” sticker. She said she likes voting in person and described her experience today as “great” and “very easy.”

“I prefer to actually see it go in the box and I get the sticker,” Lewallen said.

She is excited for Kamala Harris, who recently announced her presidential campaign.

“I’m very excited to have more viable options,” she said.

Lewallen’s primary concern in this election cycle is women’s rights in general, including abortion. Additionally, she sees it as a race to save democracy and encouraged everybody to vote.

“I just think it’s really important to vote, even when you’re discouraged, even when you feel like there’s not a lot of options,” she said.

A cross-section of voters at this Tucson library

John Washington, 2:44 p.m. at Eckstrom-Columbus Library

Magdalena Mijares has been voting in elections for 30 years. She walked out of the Eckstrom-Columbus Library near Reid Park and said she feels good about the vote process.

“They’re good, they’re fair,” she said. Asked if she was driven to the polls by a specific issue or candidate, she said, “Tenemos que votar y ya,” or ‘We just need to vote.”

A woman who didn’t want to share her name “because you’re a reporter,” said, “I don’t trust the vote. I believe it’s been rigged for a long time.”

The woman said that the only way it’s going to change is “if we all vote.” She said she expects “the MAGA movement will come out in droves.” The Left, meanwhile, the woman said, “is already angry and borderline violent.” She said more people should get involved in politics and volunteer as poll watchers.

Randall Carpenter, 64, sweating in the sticky July heat after dropping off his ballot, said he used to be a Republican, but switched to vote for Obama in 2008.

“It’s hard to be a centrist, but I’m pretty middle of the road,” he said. One of his priorities is keeping Trump out of office, he said.

“I do trust the elections, they’ve been going on for hundreds of years,” Carpenter said. “I think they’re fair as long as people follow the rules and don’t listen to all these conspiracies.”

He said he follows local elections, too. “I want a sheriff who’s tough on crime but not so tough that nobody wants to move here,” he said.

Today is David Underwood’s second time ever voting. He said he was inspired to come out because of Kamala Harris.

“My mom was a cop, so I get the whole hard ass but also loving and endearing stance,” Underwood said.

Underwood is a dancer on cruise ships and said the experience has opened up his views. “Maybe that’s why I’m a Democrat,” he said.

He said that he did a lot of research before realizing how much he identified with Harris and her policies. He said his current roommate is hard right and tried to convince him that his vote doesn’t matter.

“That’s another reason I wanted to come out today,” he said. He admitted he’s a little less motivated by local races, but hopes to learn more.

“I think things will be okay in November, though either side may be quick to react,” Underwood said. He added that he votes more for social issues. “As a gay man, I guess that makes sense,” he said.

He said other important issues are abortion access, the war in Gaza and homelessness.

Seeking candidates with solutions

Carolina Cuellar, 1:07 p.m. at Woods Memorial Library, midtown Tucson

Heather Moore-Martin stood in the asphalt parking lot outside Woods Memorial Library in central Tucson. Martin already voted by mail but she came to the polls anyway.

“I’m just trying to encourage people and thank them for voting and then encourage them to vote for Edgar,” she said. Edgar Soto is a candidate for Pima County Supervisor District 3. Another Soto supporter was stationed outside the vote center at St. James United Methodist Church in midtown Tucson in the morning.

As people trickled in and out of the library, some to vote but most to use library services, Martin asked if they voted and yelled gratitudes if they did.

She said the most important issue for her was homelessness. She wants a candidate who proposes solutions, “somebody that has innovative ideas about how to handle this situation without making anybody feel like a second-class citizen,” she said.

Other than Soto and supervisor Rex Scott, Martin said no other candidates necessarily stick out but she lauds all those who run for office.

“I think that anybody that is running for office is just such an extraordinary citizen,” she said. “I just appreciate people taking the risk of running.”

‘You can have different views, but you have to stay informed’

John Washington, 12:40 p.m. at El Pueblo Senior Center, Tucson

“I’m an avid voter, so every time I come out, I’m excited to be here,” said Ashley L, who didn’t want to share her last name because of the tense political environment. She said there are a lot of people who are unable to vote because they’re not citizens, and she wants to use her privilege to cast her ballot.

“If you’re living here and working and paying taxes, I think you should have that right,” Ashley said.

Ashley, 29, said it’s easier for older voters to vote for names they recognize, but it’s important to do your research. She said she watched candidate forums and statements online, and helped her younger sisters and cousins to be informed.

“You can have different views, but you have to stay informed,” she said.

Ashley said she was glad Biden dropped out and is tentatively excited that “Ms. Harris has called for a ceasefire in Gaza.” She said, “I’m a Democrat, so I’m for people and their rights.”

She added that she “wants to trust the vote,” but points to the fact that Trump is a convicted felon and is still allowed to run as a sign of “bending the rules.” She hopes that in the general election “everyone takes this more seriously and shows up.”

Greg Colburn was also voting at El Pueblo Senior Center Tuesday.

“I’m a pretty regular voter,” he said, adding that it’s his duty to cast his ballot.

He rode from near University Boulevard and Fourth Avenue to vote today.

“It bothers me immensely, this feeling that there’s uncertainty in the process,” he said, adding that he’s confident in the election process and hasn’t seen any evidence of fraud.

Gerard Acuña, who worked for a previous constable and now wants to be elected himself, was talking with voters at El Pueblo Tuesday.

He’s not on the ballot but he’s been approaching voters in parking lots of different polling places today to give them his pitch as a write-in candidate for Pima County constable.

He said he’s motivated by keeping people safe who have domestic violence protection orders. He also wants to be a human face when issuing eviction orders, offering people resources and working with landlords to make the process less traumatic.

Acuña talked with a voter about what a constable does — a peace officer who issues judicial orders.

Colburn and Acuña both said there are a lot of judges and other local officials that not many people recognize or know if they should vote for them or not.

“You have to do a lot of research,” Acuña said. “It’s not easy.”

Campaigning in Guadalupe

Chelsea Curtis, 11:25 a.m. at El Tianguis Mercado, Town of Guadalupe, Maricopa County

Daniel Salas and Renzo Aleman were campaigning on Tuesday for Izaak Ruiz, a Democrat running for the Arizona House of Representatives from Legislative District 11, outside a vote center in the Town of Guadalupe.

Salas, who had been outside the center since 6 a.m., estimated about 100 voters visited the location by 10:30 a.m. and he hadn’t heard of any complaints.

Only a few voters were seen trickling in to vote at the center on Tuesday morning, including some who declined to speak to Arizona Luminaria because they were in a hurry to return to work.

Salas and Renzo Aleman said this election was their first time helping to campaign for a candidate, who they said they knew personally. They said Ruiz was born and raised in south Phoenix and came from a family “that has very nice ideas to help Arizona.”

Ruiz’s father, Armando Ruiz, is a former state representative and senator.

“I think that he will improve Arizona and can help the people that live here,” Aleman said. “I think it will be good if he gets elected.”

A pamphlet they were handing out says Ruiz is committed to public education, affordable housing, jobs and the economy.

“We the people” in South Tucson

John Washington, 9:20 a.m. at Sam Lena – South Tucson Library

Herman Lopez, South Tucson vice mayor, was campaigning for South Tucson city council outside the Sam Lena library , along with council member Roxanna Valenzuela. They offered water and donuts to voters and passersby.

Scott Sears, another South Tucson council candidate, was handing out campaign flyers outside the fence around Sam Lena.

There are seven candidates for four nonpartisan city council seats in South Tucson.

“It’s important our community speaks out and shows they care about the future,” Lopez said. He and Valenzuela jumped up from their umbrella-shaded lawn chairs to catch voters as they headed inside to cast their vote.

Mary DeCamp had her ballot in her hand as she stepped out of her car to drop it off.

“I’m a dedicated citizen. I come out for all the elections. I go to city council. I love government,” DeCamp said.

DeCamp, who previously ran for mayor of Tucson as a Green Party candidate, said she was concerned with “the shape of the world,” and thinks voting is important, but not enough. She said people need to build community, get to know neighbors and help each other.

“It’s we the people who make our society,” DeCamp said. “And we can choose to make a wonderful one.”

David Elliott, in a John Deere hat and matching green shirt, said this election is “maddening.”

“What could possibly happen next?” Elliott said.

He said he came to vote against Kari Lake in the U.S. Senate primary . “If she weren’t an election denier, I would have voted for her,” he said. “But she’s a crybaby, so I voted against her.” He said she probably will win, but thinks it’s important to send a message.

Elliott said he’s “not thrilled with either presidential candidate.” The biggest issue in November is the border, he said. “It was obvious that Joe had to go,” but he’s not excited about the options that remain.

“We just gotta keep voting,” Elliott said.

Morning voters in Sugar Hill

7:41 a.m.: John Washington at Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center

Luz Stapp and Jenny Adams sitting on folding chairs outside the Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center in the Sugar Hill Neighborhood have been monitoring the polling station since 5:30 this morning. They work with Election Protection , a national nonpartisan organization focused on protecting the right to vote.

“It’s been very slow,” Stapp said, with only about a dozen voters having shown up by 7 a.m.

Originally from the Philippines, Stapp has been voting in U.S. elections since 1972. She’s lived in Arizona for 32 years, having moved from Washington state to work at Raytheon. She is retired.

“I think it’s important as a non-native American to help,” Stapp said. “You hear reports of people being denied because they can’t speak English or they don’t know what ID to bring and that’s why I’m here.”

A slow morning and with no issues so far, Stapp hopes that “there is no chaos.”

“I’m worried about everything,” Chris Rogers said after casting his ballot at the recreation center.

Rogers said he votes in every election and always in person.

“This election is very important, the most important in my life,” Rogers said. He’s most concerned about election integrity, and isn’t confident the results will reflect how people actually voted. He wants to return to all in-person voting, no drop boxes or mail-in ballots.

“It’s crazy they don’t check IDs for mail-ins,” he said.

Find a polling center in Pima County

Arizona Luminaria, 6 a.m.

Early ballots can be dropped off at any Pima County polling center. If you don’t have an early ballot and need to vote in person today, you can look for the most convenient vote center on this map . Pima County no longer has assigned polling places, so you can vote at any vote center.

Unaffiliated or independent voters can request either party’s ballot at a polling center today.

What to bring to the polls

At the polls on Election Day you must provide your name and place of residence and present identification to the election official.

The photo ID can be one of the following :

• Valid Arizona driver license
• Valid Arizona non-operating identification card
• Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
• Valid United States federal, state, or local government-issued identification

If you don’t have any of those IDs, you can provide two of the following :

• Utility bill of the elector that is dated within 90 days of the date of the election. A utility bill may be for electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, cellular phone, or cable television
• Bank or credit union statement that is dated within 90 days of the date of the election
• Valid Arizona vehicle registration
• Indian census card
• Property tax statement of the elector’s residence
• Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
• Arizona vehicle insurance card
• Recorder’s Certificate
• Valid United States federal, state, or local government-issued identification, including a voter registration card issued by the county recorder
• Any mailing to the elector marked “Official Election Material”

If you don’t have two of those, there’s a third option:

• Any valid photo identification from the first list in which the address does not reasonably match the precinct register accompanied by a non-photo identification from the second list in which the address does reasonably match the precinct register
• U.S. passport without address and one valid item from List 2
• U.S. military identification without address and one valid item from List 2

Valid identification is also required prior to receiving a ballot at any in-person early voting location or emergency vote center or from a special election board.

Early voters

The Associated Press, 6 a.m.

As of April, there were nearly 4.1 million registered voters in Arizona. Of those, about 35% were Republicans and 29% were Democrats.

In the 2022 midterm primaries, turnout was nearly 13% of registered voters in the Democratic primaries and about 18% in the Republican primaries. Arizona has an “Active Early Voting List” program where participating eligible voters are automatically sent a mail ballot. About 93% of Democratic primary voters and 79% of Republican primary voters cast their ballots before primary day in 2022.

As of Tuesday, nearly 696,000 ballots had been cast before primary day, about 45% in the Democratic primary and about 54% in the Republican primary.

Pima County had counted about 116,000 early ballots as of Monday, July 29.

Voting rights

Arizona Luminaria, 6 a.m.

Pima County voters can track the status of their early ballot here . Maricopa County voters can track their early ballot here . Voters in other parts of Arizona can track their early ballot here . Find out more about election security here .

Need language assistance or have questions about your voting rights?

Know your voting rights / Spanish version

NALEO ¡Ve y Vota! Spanish/English languages: Call 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA or 1-888-839-8682

Native Vote : If you experience issues voting call the hotline: 1-888-777-3831

APIA VOTE and AAJC Asian languages : Call 1-888-API-VOTE or 1-888-274-8683

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law/10 languages :

• 1-866-OUR-VOTE
• 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish/English)
• 1-844-YALLA-US (Arabic/English)
• 1-888-API-VOTE (English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali)
• Text MYVOTE to 1-866-687-8683 to get voting help from a trained volunteer

Disability Rights Arizona : 602-274-6287 or 1-800-927-2260 from 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. on election day. More resources for voters with a disability from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission .

More general voting resources from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

Native voters

Native voters in Arizona and elsewhere have long faced discrimination and obstacles when it comes to casting a ballot. For more information about your rights, Arizona’s Native voters can sign up with Arizona Native Vote , a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Indigenous and rural communities participate in elections.

Members of federally-recognized tribes are not required to have an address or photo on their tribal identification in order to cast a provisional ballot, according to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission .

More information on ID requirements for Native voters available here . This website also helps voters know which IDs to have ready to be able to vote.

The post A day at the polls: Live updates from the 2024 Arizona Primary Election appeared first on AZ Luminaria .