PHOENIX -- Today is the final day to register to vote in Arizona's August 4 primary election. Anyone who isn't currently registered or has moved since the last time they voted can sign up or update their information online with their country recorder if they have a valid Arizona driver's license or state ID.

Arizona held its Presidential Preference Election back in March, but Emily Kirkland, director of Progress Now Arizona, said primary voters need to choose their party's candidates for the November general election.

"There are so many different state and local races that are going to be decided in August - state legislative races, county level races," Kirkland said. "In a lot of those cases, the primary is really the time in which the race gets decided."

A registration form can be mailed in, but must be postmarked by Monday, July 6. If you don't have a license or ID, you can register in person at any county recorder's office with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport.

In order to vote in Arizona, you must be 18 years old by November 4.

Kirkland said today is a good day to go online and make sure your registration is still in effect, and to make sure it reflects your party affiliation and preferred method of voting.

"If you get your ballot in the mail, you have until July 24 to make that party preference," she said. "If you're planning to vote in person, you can request the ballot for the relevant party when you show up."

Kirkland reminded voters that Arizona does not automatically send mail-in ballots to everyone on their rolls. If - because of the COVID-19 pandemic or for any other reason - you don't want to vote in person at a polling location, she said, you must request a mail-in ballot.

"To register for the permanent early voting list, Monday is the deadline to do that. And mark that you want to receive an early ballot for every election," she said.

You can register or update your voter information online at ServiceArizona.com.

Kirkland said Progress Now Arizona also will assist with registrations today. For help, text "SHOWUP2020" to 474747, or go online to OneArizona.org/voting.

Early-voting turnout in Virginia has dropped compared with the same period in 2020. As of Tuesday, slightly more than 1.1 million Virginians have voted early.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, that's down from nearly 2.8 million early voters by this time in 2020. But one expert says it's hard to draw definitive conclusions about what this means for the upcoming election.

Alex Keena, associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University, compared the numbers.

"Around this time in 2020, they were still lockdowns and there's a big emphasis on early voting, vote by mail to prevent the spread of the virus," he said. "So, a lot of folks who would normally vote in person opted to vote through mail voting. That may be part of the reason why."

Keena noted several factors may have contributed to the decrease, including that early voting was new to Virginia in 2020 when Democrats gained control of the General Assembly. Virginia's lengthy early voting period is among the most generous in the country, providing voters with 45 days, which is seen as ample opportunity to participate in elections.

Keena added one other reason for the decrease is that some voters may prefer casting their ballots on Election Day rather than participating in early voting.

"And then, another obvious reason is that there's less enthusiasm or interest in this election. It seems hard to believe, since the campaign has been going on for so long, but it may well be that there's just sort of fatigue and people are less interested," he continued.

While much of the national attention is focused on the presidential race, Keena pointed to several key congressional races in Virginia, such as the 2nd and 7th districts. He noted that the first district race between incumbent Rep. Robert Wittman, R-Va., and Democrat Leslie Mehta is closer than it has been in a long time.


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Early in-person voting kicked off this week in certain North Dakota counties and whether it is now or on Election Day, voters are reminded to head to their polling location with a deep understanding of their rights and what is on their ballot.

Beyond the race for the White House, the governor's seat and Congressional races, North Dakotans also have plenty of ballot questions to decide.

Cody Schuler, advocacy director for the ACLU of North Dakota, said voters do not want to risk missing out on having their voices heard. If a technical issue or other problem arises at your polling site, he said being prepared with knowledge can help ensure the matter is quickly resolved. It starts with asking for assistance.

"If you need interpreter services, whether you need some clarification, election workers can help you with that," Schuler pointed out. "You can also bring somebody with you. Most people don't realize that. If you have a disability, you can have someone assist you if you have a hard time holding a pen to be able to fill in the oval."

He noted the person you bring along can be a trusted family member or friend but they cannot be a political candidate or a candidate's relative. Other tips include making sure your ID is valid and up to date, and knowing your polling location's address and hours. North Dakota has five statewide ballot questions and Schuler stressed it should prompt voters to research them ahead of time.

The ballot questions range from marijuana legalization to restricting local governments from collecting property taxes. One would overhaul the rules for getting a future ballot initiative passed. Schuler acknowledged when you are in a voting booth, you might feel a sense of unease if you do not understand the questions before you.

"You can look on your phone, look up online what those measures are but also by state law, every polling location should have several copies of the full text of every ballot initiative for a voter to review," Schuler explained. "All you have to do is ask for them."

Under state law, there's a 30-minute time limit to fill out your ballot, so either being prepared or seeking out a worker can help eliminate feeling rushed. If a problem cannot be dealt with onsite, Schuler recommended reaching out to the Secretary of State or such groups as the League of Women Voters, the ACLU and North Dakota Native Vote.

There is also the Election Protection Hotline at 866-687-8683.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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Election Day is less than two weeks away and both sides are blaming the other for divisive political rhetoric, while others are asking to turn down the temperature.

Adrienne Evans, executive director of the advocacy group United Vision for Idaho, said there has been a troubling trend in rhetoric targeting certain groups of people, which unfortunately can increase the likelihood of political violence. Evans said if you disagree with the type of language being used, there are ways to stop it and keep it from spreading.

"Don't repeat it. Don't repost it. Challenge it," Evans urged. "Think about if someone who's being targeted who resembles this group or this identity were to see this, how would they feel? And do you want to be the perpetrator of that?"

Polls show Americans have grown tired of the intensifying language surrounding the election, even dating back to last year. A Pew Research Center poll from 2023 found 90% of respondents often or sometimes feel "exhausted" when thinking about politics. "Divisive" was the word most respondents used when considering the current state of U.S. politics.

Evans pointed out there has been a constant drumbeat of divisive rhetoric over recent years in politics.

"The things that seemed so crazy, if they continue in a daily trickle, they become normalized," Evans explained. "The crazy things that we never, ever thought would have been possible, become the new norm."

However, Evans noted voting can provide an antidote to the current political climate and the nation can get back on track.

"Things feel a lot better when we can actually do democracy," Evans contended. "By that, I very specifically mean what it was intended for and what its promise is -- that people from divergent views, perspective, experience, place can come together to find common solutions."

Election Day is Nov. 5.