1.2 Million Arizonans Barred from Participating in Presidential Contest They Pay For

image
Published: 22 Mar, 2016
Updated: 16 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Today, Arizona voters are headed to the polls to decide which presidential candidates they prefer to take the 58 delegates in the Republican contest and 75 delegates on the Democratic contest. However, more than 1.2 million citizens in Arizona – more than a third of all registered voters in the state – won't be allowed to cast a ballot.

The presidential preference election (PPE) is only open to members of the Democratic, Republican, and Green parties, meaning that voters registered as independent or with another party can't vote on which presidential candidate they prefer. The last day a voter could have registered with one of the three parties conducting an election Tuesday was February 22. Arizona does not allow same-day registration.

As a result, voter confusion has marred the process, with reports of independent voters missing that deadline and finding out too late that they are ineligible to cast a ballot. Some voters will likely take the time to travel to their local polling location and line up, only to be turned away.

In addition, the PPE is state-funded and administered, meaning that all of the voters who cannot participate in the elections are still paying for them.

Technically, a PPE is different from a primary election since only presidential candidates are on the ballot. Arizona will conduct primary elections for other statewide and congressional office on August 30. Unlike the PPE, independent voters will be able to participate but they have to request a Republican or Democratic ballot.

A bill sponsored by Arizona House Speaker David Gowan would repeal state funding for the PPE, forcing the political parties to raise the funds for the election themselves. It passed a vote in the House, but even if it clears the Senate and is signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey, it won't affect this year's election.

Photo Credit: vepar5 / shutterstock.com

Latest articles

An electric sign of the American flag.
ABC's Sara Haines Calls Out 'Narrow View' that Independent Voters Can't Exist in Trump Era
American journalist and co-host of ABC’s The View, Sara Haines, refutes the notion that people can't be independent-minded in their election choices in an era in which the Republican Party is controlled by Trump – a perspective voiced by her colleague, Sunny Houstin that Haines describes as “narrow.”...
06 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read
US map divided in blue and red with a white ballot box on top.
Could Maine Be the First State to Exit the National Popular Vote Compact?
On May 20, the Maine House of Representatives voted 76–71 to withdraw the state from the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), reversing course just over a year after Maine became the 17th jurisdiction to join the agreement....
04 Jun, 2025
-
3 min read
New York City
Nine Democrats Face Off in NYC Mayoral Debate as Ranked Choice Voting, Cuomo Probe, and Independent Bid from Adams Reshape the Race
A crowded field of nine Democratic candidates will take the stage tonight, June 4, in the first official debate of the 2025 New York City mayoral primary. Held at NBC’s 30 Rock studios and co-sponsored by the city’s Campaign Finance Board, NBC 4 New York, Telemundo 47, and POLITICO New York, the debate comes at a pivotal moment in a race already shaped by political upheaval, criminal investigations, and the unique dynamics of ranked choice voting....
04 Jun, 2025
-
6 min read