Elections

Some libraries will serve as Vote Centers for the 2022 primary and general elections.

On Feb. 15, 2022, the Board of Supervisors authorized the use of Vote Centers for County elections, starting this year with the August primary and November general elections. Vote Centers were authorized by the State Legislature in 2011 and 11 other counties in the state make use of them for their elections, including Maricopa County.  They are a departure from the precinct-only voting that has been the norm in the County. Under the precinct system, voters could only cast a ballot on Election Day at the polling place specific to the precinct in which they lived.

With Vote Centers, voters can cast a ballot at any County Vote Center, whether it be near their home, their work, their school, or wherever they may happen to be on Election Day.

Two new pieces of technology authorized by the Board in February make Vote Centers possible - electronic pollbooks (e-pollbooks) and ballot printers. E-pollbooks are tablet computers that are securely connected by Wifi to the County Recorder's most up-to-date voter registration list.

With e-poll books, a voter will go to any vote center, present their ID, and a vote center staff member will use the e-pollbook to scan the driver’s license, which is the most common form of identification, and bring up the voter’s information. Allowable alternative forms of identification can also be used to find the voter. The system will then send the voter’s information to a ballot printer which will print a ballot specific to the precinct in which the voter lives.