What is a Vote Center?
An alternative to a traditional precinct that functions as a mega precinct. Each vote center has a list of all registered voters in Pima County. Each voter's registration is still associated with individual precincts without the restriction of voting in a predetermined assigned location.
Are Vote Centers safe?
Yes, vote centers are safe. The voting equipment used to operate the vote center makes it safe and secure. Vote centers use electronic pollbooks instead of paper rosters to verify voter eligibility and issue ballots. Vote centers also use ballot-on-demand (BOD) printers to maintain control of ballots. The e-pollbooks and BOD printers work together to issue ballots to voters.
Why use Vote Centers and not precinct voting?
It is more convenient. Precinct-based voting restricts voters to one location to cast a ballot on Election Day. With Vote Centers, voters can cast their ballot at any center, whether it’snear home, work, school, or anywhere. Pima County has 129 vote center locations.
What is an electronic or e-pollbook?
It is an electronic version of the paper roster used in previous elections. The Pima County Recorder maintains the voter registration list and gives a roster of eligible voters to the Elections Office for use on Election Day. The e-pollbook contains a list of all registered voters in Pima County.
What is a ballot-on-demand (BOD) printer?
A BOD is a printer connected to the electronic pollbook that prints a ballot when the poll worker checks in a voter. Each ballot printed is linked to a request for an individual voter. The ballot does not have any coding that connects it to the voter. However, the precinct and ballot style allows the poll worker to identify the voter's ballot and confirm its accuracy. The printer can operate as an air ballot printer, which means it can print wirelessly or work as a connected device.
How will they know which ballot to give me?
The e-pollbooks contain precinct and ballot-style information for each registered voter in Pima County. Voters are assigned a precinct based on their voter registration address. Each precinct is associated with federal, state, and local voting districts.
Will I need to wait longer if my ballot is printed on-site?
No. Check-in should take the same amount of time as it would at a voting precinct. The ballots are printed using high-speed printers programmed specifically for printing election ballots.
If my ballot and other voters’ are printed on-site, how can I ensure my ballot won't be mixed up with other voters?
Each voter will receive a ballot card or voucher identifying their ballot. The voter hands the ballot card or ballot voucher to the poll worker issuing the ballots. The poll worker retrieves the correct ballot and gives it to the voter.
How will a voter's identity be verified?
Every eligible registered voter must show proof of identity at the polling place before receiving a ballot. State law determines the acceptable forms of identification. Voters can present one form of identification from the approved list that bears the voter's name, address, and photograph OR two different forms of identification from the approved list.
Learn more about voter identification.
What will stop someone from voting multiple times at different locations?
The implementation of electronic pollbooks in Vote Centers safeguards against attempts to vote multiple times. The e-pollbooks update rapidly whenever the poll worker checks in a voter. Because all Vote Centers work from the same voter file, if voters attempt to vote at another Vote Center, their voter profile will get flagged. The Elections Official receives a message that the voter has already voted. The system will not allow them to check in again. Instead, the voter will receive a provisional ballot. The provisional ballot is another level of security against voting multiple times. Provisional ballots are not counted on Election Day. The Recorder's Office verifies and determines which provisional ballots are counted. The Recorder's staff can see if a voter has cast a ballot on Election Day.
Can I drop off an early ballot at a Vote Center?
Yes, you can drop off your completed ballot at any Vote Center between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on August 2.
Find a Vote Center near you.
Voters can also drop off their mail-in ballots at any early or emergency voting site.
View early voting information and locations.
Won't I have to drive farther?
Not necessarily. Many of the 129 Vote Centers in use for 2022 Primary and General Elections are located at the same locations where voting precincts were. Voters also have the option to cast a ballot or drop off a completed ballot at a Vote Center location most convenient to them, whether it's near their home, work, school, or anywhere they happen to be.
See Vote Center locations.
Where else are vote centers used?
Vote Centers are a common method of in-person voting in many parts of the country. In Arizona, 11 counties have adopted Vote Centers since the State Legislature approved their use in 2011.