PHOENIX – Voters across the state cast ballots Tuesday for the presidential election, a U.S. Senate race, nine U.S. House races, 13 state ballot measures and many more state and local races. By Wednesday, election returns were still flowing in.
Follow live Arizona election results here and read more updates from Election Day below.
U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego, right, with wife Sydney Barron, waves to supporters at the Arizona Democratic Party election night watch party in Phoenix on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
Rep. Ruben Gallego addresses a crowd outside of a polling location on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. Photos by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
With his wife and son by his side, U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego gave a speech to a ballroom full of Democrats that inspired shouts of encouragement as Gallego teared up talking about his early life as an immigrant.
“Growing up the way that I did, the son of immigrants, I never thought I would make it this far,” Gallego said. “As a kid, I slept on the floor of my living room so my sisters could have beds. I worked every job I could to help the family by meat packing, construction, making pizzas, making hot dogs, you name it.”
He also spoke of his time with the U.S. Marine Corps, with some of his fellow veterans in attendance at the Arizona Democratic Party election night watch party in Phoenix.
“I wanted to serve my country, the country that gave my family a chance to live the American dream,” Gallego said. “I had the honor of fighting alongside my brothers in Iraq in Lima Company 3/25, assigned to Anbar, Iraq. Our company saw some of the hardest days of the war. And those were tough days, but fighting alongside my brothers was always worth it.”
If victorious in his race against Republican Kari Lake, Gallego would become the first Latino elected to the U.S. Senate in Arizona.
Following his speech at the Arizona Democratic Party’s election night watch party, Maricopa County Recorder candidate Tim Stringham expanded on his ideology regarding voters. He said a person isn’t defined by the party they choose to support and said Democrats must make it a priority to reach and protect all voters.
“We can’t treat this like a team sport; it’s our country and our community,” Stringham said. “If somebody is a (Donald) Trump supporter, we have to understand that and communicate with them about issues they resonate with.”
After initial returns dropped around 8 p.m., Stringham held a slim lead over Republican opponent Justin Heap.
Stringham acknowledged that as a first-time candidate for political office, there were areas he could grow and improve. He credited supporters for his growth.
“You can only blame people so much. Everyone bears responsibility for their votes, but we’re the messengers. If I lose tonight, it means I didn’t reach out to enough people. And I can’t just throw a fit. I’ve got to take a hard look at myself,” he said.
Chuck Coughlin, the president of Highground, is a moderate Republican and one of the supporters of Prop 140. (Photo by Daniella Trujillo/Cronkite News)
Chuck Coughlin, the president of HighGround, Inc., a political consulting firm, reflects on election night and an atmosphere he did not expect.
The mood is not energetic, Coughlin said, explaining that there is a “different outcome going on here than is anticipated.”
Coughlin had supported Proposition 140, which would establish open primaries in Arizona elections.
“The goal of 140 was to treat every voter and every candidate in Arizona equal,” Coughlin said.
He said they spent upward of $15 million to get the initiative on the ballot, but that “we’re going to lose tonight.”
Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano speaks at the Arizona Democratic Party’s watch party in Phoenix on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
The 2024 election night Democratic watch party in Phoenix kicked off with thunderous roars of applause and music shaking the ballroom. Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano opened the event by proudly stating her appreciation to represent Arizona as a native of the state.
She highlighted some of the goals that the Democratic Party hopes to accomplish, including reducing the cost of living and protecting reproductive rights. She ended her speech by thanking the crowd in attendance and viewers watching from afar for their support in the work that she and other candidates have done.
“I am incredibly grateful to every organizer, volunteer, staffer and candidate here with us tonight or is watching on TV,” Bejarano said. “We have run a historic campaign that has restored hope and joy into politics. Thank you for your commitment to building a brighter future for Arizona.”
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, right, and his wife, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, speak at the Arizona Democratic Party’s election night watch party on Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs takes the stage at the Arizona Democratic Party’s election night watch party on Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
Arizona Democrats listen as Gov. Katie Hobbs speaks at the party’s election night watch party on Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix. (Photo by Samuel Nute/Cronkite News)
As of 8 p.m. MST Tuesday, early returns in Maricopa County show Kamala Harris is barely leading Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election, while Reuben Gallego is in the lead for the U.S. Senate race over Kari Lake.
The results represent 1.1 million ballots, representing 43.43% of eligible voters. The expected voter turnout is forecasted to hit 2.1 million, and approximately 700,000 votes are still left to tabulate.
Over 260,000 voters checked in to in-person vote centers on Election Day.
An estimate of early ballots dropped off on Election Day is expected to be available Wednesday.
Until all ballots are counted, unofficial results will be posted regularly. Updates can be found at elections.maricopa.gov, and returns can change rapidly.
Even before officials began tallying votes in Arizona, the Democratic National Committee was boasting of its efforts to tilt the state blue.
The DNC said Tuesday it invested nearly $25 million into Arizona’s state and county parties, and the Democratic ground game as part of its outreach in red, blue and purple states, party officials said.
The national party also financed technology infrastructure improvements for Arizona Democrats, including strengthened cybersecurity. The DNC hired voter protection staff to ensure swift response on Election Day, and it offered a voter protection hotline. The committee touted its digital and in-person voter information and registration campaigns targeting Native American, Hispanic, LGBTQ+ and student voters.
Kim Sturms, a Phoenix resident and supporter of former President Donald Trump, said prices and interest rates are important issues for her. (Photo by Aaron Stigile/Cronkite News)
Kim Sturms, a Phoenix resident, said she supports former President Donald Trump and knows “he’ll be able to bring the country together again after so much division over the last four years.”
Sturms was part of the crowd waiting for election results at Dillon’s Bayou on Lake Pleasant, where Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, hosted his watch party.
Sturms said she hopes interest rates will “come back down” under Trump’s possible second term.
“My husband and I want to do a little bit of a remodel in our kitchen, and we can’t even do that,” Sturms said.
The crowd has maintained a bright and festive mood as the night has gone on.
Arizona native Patricia Thiede shares a sign in support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump outside of Bridgeway Community Church. (Photo by Saleh Awwad/Cronkite News)
Patricia Thiede showed her support for former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump outside of Bridgeway Community Church, a Phoenix voting location.
“I’m fighting for my children, my future grandchildren,” Thiede said.
Thiede’s main concerns for this election are border security and pro-life legislation.
The third-generation Arizonan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer but has been in remission since March.
Tiede, who had been outside of the church since 1 p.m., said her current medication caused her to feel fatigued. But that didn’t stop her from advocating for Trump and his campaign.
“I was willing to come out here all day if I had to,” Thiede said.
New York Native Todd Egglefield after casting his vote in Phoenix. (Photo by Saleh Awwad/Cronkite News)
Todd Egglefield, a 56-year-old who is originally from upstate New York, has lived in Arizona for 21 years, and this election was only his third time voting.
Despite not paying much mind to politics early on, Egglefield now knows the importance of voting and is taking full advantage of it.
“(Voting is) very important, and I’m glad that I finally realized,” Egglefield said. “I’m just sorry that it didn’t happen when I was younger.”
Egglefield highlighted the economy as one of the key issues that drove his decisions when casting his votes in this year’s election.
“Everything that’s going on in the economy, cost of living for everything going up,” he said.
In case you were wondering how former President Donald Trump was able to cast a ballot in Florida on Election Day – despite being a convicted felon:
Rules vary state by state on whether a felony conviction disqualifies someone from voting.
A New York jury convicted Trump in May on 34 felony counts related to hush money payments to an adult film actress. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 26. Under a 2021 New York state law, people convicted of a felony are allowed to vote after release from prison or if they haven’t yet been incarcerated.
Trump voted in Florida, near his legal residence at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. Under Florida law, felons lose the right to vote permanently following a conviction, but that doesn’t apply if the conviction was in another state that allows felons to vote – like New York.
Felony charges are pending against Trump for election interference in Georgia state court and in federal court. He also faces federal charges related to classified documents he kept after leaving office.
All of those trials would likely be put on indefinite hold, or the charges dropped, if he wins this election. But if he had been convicted in Georgia or in federal court before Election Day, Florida would not have let him cast a ballot. Georgia strips convicted felons of their voting rights, and Florida doesn’t waive that penalty for a federal conviction, according to the Campaign Legal Center.
Debbie Bittke believes Donald Trump can help improve the economy. (Photo by Aaron Stigile/Cronkite News)
Debbie Bittke and Patty Fitzgerald, Republicans from Surprise, said they’re both expecting Donald Trump to win the presidential race. They were watching the results come in from Abe Hamadeh’s watch party at Dillon’s Bayou, a country music restaurant at Lake Pleasant in Peoria.
“I am really an advocate for Trump, because I think he’s going to change our economy,” Bittke said. “I think it starts with the border being secured.”
She has been a Republican since she was 18, she said.
The restaurant filled in as the evening progressed and took on a festive tone.
“Even my grandson loves the food,” Fitzgerald said with a laugh.
Long shot Republican Congressional candidate Jeff Zink, 61, hopes to sway members of the Blue Dog Coalition – Democrats who lean moderate or conservative on certain issues – to vote for him in the deeply blue Arizona 3rd District.
“The problem is the Democratic Party has left all of the Blue Dog Democrats,” Zink said outside the South Phoenix Missionary Baptist Church polling place. “So, now they’re left with looking around, and now they’re finding this very conservative person that has biblical views and is now at the forefront.”
Zink is up against Yassamin Ansari, who barely obtained a primary victory, to replace U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego. While Zink claims that registered Republicans have turned out to vote at a higher rate than Democrats, 58% to 40%, the number of Democratic primary voters this year still outnumbered Republicans three to one.
Still, the South Phoenix area has sent conservative-leaning Democrats to the State Legislature in the past.
Wearing his black cowboy hat and a campaign T-shirt, Zink had already visited four polling places, with a goal of visiting 25 before polls close at 7 p.m. He also said he appreciated the peaceful interaction with Democratic electioneers at the same polling site.
“We have Democrats that are also electioneering and doing a lot of things, and Republicans are right beside them. We’re being peaceful,” he said.
As an ordained pastor, Zink said that Jesus teaches Christians to be peaceful and respectful, regardless of differences. He also criticized Ansari for her attack ads against him.
“We need to sit down and start working together. We’re not African American, we’re not Native American, we’re not any other things. We’re American first, and that’s what we need to do,” he said. “That’s exactly why I say I’m an American first candidate.”
Of the Republicans electioneering at the site, the majority were Latino. Conducting an informal exit poll, out of the 45 people who had approached him up to that point, Zink said that 40 had voted for him. The trend, not accounting for voters who didn’t approach him, still gave him hope of a victory, he said.
“I don’t even have to go up and ask them. They’re coming to me and telling me how they’re voting,” he said.
— Tony Gutiérrez, Special for Cronkite News
Audrey Reinholz smiles as she waits for her grandson to finish voting at South Phoenix Baptist Church. (Photo by Gabriel Garza/Cronkite News)
Outside the South Phoenix Baptist Church, Audrey Reinholz sat in her car waiting for her 28-year-old grandson to cast his vote.
Her morning didn’t start the way she wanted it to, so she sought to change that.
“(My grandson) wasn’t going to vote today but I broke down and started crying,” she said, fighting back tears.
Reinholz brought her grandson to the polling place at the church to ensure he voted in a pivotal election for both the state of Arizona and the country.
Her affiliation changed after the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
“They violated a sacred place,” she said. “That’s bad.”
She said people like her grandson are critical to the country, and she shared a passionate opinion about who she wants to see in elected office going forward.
“Hopefully after this election, we’ll get younger folks in,” she said. “I think election should be where 60 (years old) is the max… so 60 in, 70 out.”
Although it may have been a small effort, Reinholz actively participated in her own call for action by bringing her grandson to the polls.
Dozens of election staff count and tally votes in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
An election staff worker analyzes a voting ballot in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. Maricopa County reported clearing 200,000 check-ins at 4:45 p.m., with more than three hours until the polls close. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
An elections worker transports ballots from one station to another in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
Election workers congregate around a tub of ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. The workers have been counting votes since the early morning. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
Ballots are held in a container behind a fence, waiting to be counted and tallied in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
Election workers count and tally votes on Election Day at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
An elections worker transports a tray of ballots before they are counted and tallied at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
Rows of election ballots stand in the corner of the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center before they are counted on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
An elections worker transports a tray of ballots in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
Trump supporters hand out water, juice and pizza for all voters regardless of party affiliation in Mesa. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
John Davison, along with several other veterans, stood at a booth donned in Trump gear outside the Sunland Village East polling site in Mesa. Wearing a pin that read “Veterans for Trump,” the former Naval Construction Battalion member took a calm but firm stance.
“(We want to spread) a conservative message here,” Davison said. “We want a border that’s in control, we wish low crime, and as far as the economy goes, inflation that’s under control.”
Members of the booth, who handed out free water and pizza regardless of party, arrived at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, and said they were there at 7 a.m. Monday as well for early in-person voting. Setting up just beyond the legal guidelines from the polls, they were steps away from the long lines forming outside the homeowners association.
“I’ve been with the Republican Party for a long time. Now, do I agree with all Republicans? Absolutely not,” Davison said. “But those Republicans are what make America great.”
Davison also strongly believes the issue of censorship in the United States is important and believes that Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, two recent endorsers of the former president, do, too.
“As far as Rogan and Musk, I think they see the problem of censorship and free speech going haywire,” Davison said. “Now, if free speech goes haywire, you can take the First Amendment and just toss it out the window. I may not like your speech, but if you wish to say it, say it.”
Hector Castro reaches out to voters in the parking lot of the South Phoenix Baptist Church Tuesday. (Photo by Gabriel Garza/Cronkite News)
Hector Castro, a Mesa-based semi-truck driver, spent his afternoon electioneering for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in South Phoenix.
With a smile on his face, Castro described his views on the election for Spanish-speaking voters.
“Spanish persons, don’t be afraid to vote for President Trump,” he said. “Because (he) is going to improve the immigration, but he’s wanted legal immigration.”
Castro, dressed in a shirt that read “Trump Force Captain,” thanked voters who walked through the parking lot of the voting center.
“We don’t want to fight with anybody because this is different ideas, but we are human beings,” he said. “We cannot fight each other.”
Castro’s trust in Trump as a businessman was a primary reason for him voting and participating in the process. Whether he was turned down by voters outside of South Phoenix Baptist Church, Castro remained adamant in his support of the presidential election’s Republican candidate.
“My president for all time is President Trump,” Castro said.
Arizona Republicans prepare for an election watch party with Abe Hamadeh as the featured guest. Hamadeh is running for Congress in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District against Democrat Greg Whitten. (Photo by Daniella Trujillo/Cronkite News)
At an election watch party featuring Republican Abe Hamadeh, who is running for Congress in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, attendees take photos. (Photo by Daniella Trujillo/Cronkite News)
Abe Hamadeh’s election night watch party on Nov. 5, 2024, featured a special drink menu and stickers and signs touting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Hamadeh is running for Congress in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District against Democrat Greg Whitten. (Photo by Daniella Trujillo/Cronkite News)
Mary Rothschild, a former ASU professor, outside the polling booth in Guadalupe, Arizona. (Photo by Saleh Awwad/Cronkite News)
Mary Rothschild, a former Arizona State professor of 32 years who taught courses in women’s history and American history, stood outside the polling booth in Guadalupe and talked about the issues that resonated for her.
When asked what was most important when deciding between candidates, Rothschild said “Respect, constitution, democracy, abortion, women’s rights, to name a few.”
Originally from Washington, Rothschild moved to Arizona in 1975 when she was offered and accepted a job at ASU.
Now a longtime Arizona resident, she is fully supporting and has voted for Kamala Harris.
“It is astonishing to me that this election is even close,” Rothschild said.
Signs supporting Abe Hamadeh decorate the outside of Dillon’s Bayou restaurant at Lake Pleasant Tuesday. (Photo by Aaron Stigile/Cronkite News)
Abe Hamadeh, who is running to fill an open seat in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, and Kari Lake, who is running for a spot in the U.S. Senate, both have strong support from Sarah Emert, a veteran who expects the energy to be “amazing” at the Hamadeh watch party Tuesday night at Dillon’s Bayou restaurant at Lake Pleasant.
“I served in the military for 13 years, and my country kind of left me with the last administration,” said Emert, who is from Sun City West. “When Trump was in (office), the V.A. hospitals were amazing. They kind of slipped underneath Biden.”
Emert said Hamadeh is a “fighter” and that he “loves our country.”
Watch party organizers said they didn’t expect the party to get busy until 5:30 p.m., but the venue, which was decorated in red, white and blue, was already starting to fill in before then.
Rod Rogers, a 70-year-old retiree, works a volunteer shift outside the Guadalupe Mercado polling station. (Photo by Anne-Marie Iemmolo/Cronkite News)
Rod Rogers was working his volunteer shift outside the Guadalupe Mercado polling station Tuesday, distributing voting guides to citizens as they headed to the booth to vote.
“It seems like a year that’s got a lot of issues that people are dealing with,” Rogers said.
Rogers began volunteering for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign over the summer after current President Joe Biden dropped out of his re-election bid.
Rogers, a 70-year-old retiree, already voted by mail. Solving climate change and maintaining abortion rights were some issues of importance for Rogers in this election.
Sporting a Kamala Harris shirt, Liz Garza votes in Guadalupe, a small Native American and Hispanic community between Phoenix and Tempe, at the base of South Mountain. (Photo by Anne-Marie Iemmolo/Cronkite News)
Liz Garza came to El Tianguis Mercado in Guadalupe to place her vote for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
Garza was eager to vote in this election because of her concerns regarding abortion rights and mitigating high tax rates.
“Every woman has the right to do with their body what they want to do with their body,” Garza said.
After voting for Harris, Garza headed home. She planned to continue encouraging and reminding her family and neighbors to vote in the election, and she offered to give them rides to polling locations.
Mario Ramirez, an Arizona voter, sets up a table outside of El Tianguis Mercado, a polling place in Guadalupe. (Photo by Saleh Awwad/Cronkite News)
Mario Ramirez, who voted earlier today, set up a table at El Tianguis Mercado, a polling place in Guadalupe, where he is advocating for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Guadalupe is a mostly Native American and Hispanic community of about 5,300 between Phoenix and Tempe, at the base of South Mountain.
Ramirez said he believes voting is for all who are able to do so.
“If we don’t vote properly, then we’re giving up our rights,” he said, noting he believes things were better four years ago when Trump was in office.
“I remember four years ago real well and things were a lot better,” he said.
Justin Kaczender said his biggest concern during the election is that peace is maintained, despite widespread protests. (Photo by Emery Davis/Cronkite New)
Caitlin Cummings, a Democrat on the USC campus, said her biggest concerns are the future of women’s rights. (Photo by Emery Davis/Cronkite New)
On the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles, Caitlin Cummings, a Democrat, said she is voting for Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz. She expressed excitement about rising youth engagement in politics.
“Seeing all the college students mobilizing on campuses and seeing everything on social media, I think the youth vote is going to be really impactful,” Cummings said.
Her primary concern is the protection of women’s rights, especially regarding abortion.
“I think the most bipartisan issue on the ballot is definitely abortion rights,” she said. “That’s very important to me – a woman’s right to choose.”
She hopes election results will safeguard these rights amid a present political divide.
Meanwhile, Justin Kaczender approached voting with enthusiasm and hesitation, saying that while he’s not strongly invested in politics, it’s still essential to participate.
His main concern appears to be maintaining peace and avoiding chaos, particularly on campus.
“Hopefully, things aren’t messed up with protests and stuff at school,” Kaczender said. “I just feel like everyone needs to be calm for the most part.”
For Kaczender, the issues on the ballot concerning the LA City Council and the LA Unified School District are more important than the presidential election.
Maricopa County voting workers count through ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center. (Photo by Keller Brown/Cronkite News)
Election Day workers are plugging away with counting ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.
As of 4:15 p.m., approximately 190,000 voters had checked in at various voting centers across Maricopa County.
“We have people working 16, 18 hour days,” Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said in a press conference Tuesday.
Gates said he anticipates the numbers coming out at 8 p.m. will be around 70% to 75% of all the early ballots.
Many voting centers are experiencing a high volume of voters. Vote centers and line wait times can be found here.
By blaring Miley Cyrus’ song “Party in the U.S.A,” DJ Jorge Alarcón, 48, made sure to turn the polling place at Cartwright School District Training Center into a proper political party.
“Voting doesn’t have to be boring,” said Alarcón, who owns Elev8 DJs Entertainment. “We bring the vibe, the party. We celebrate democracy.”
Alarcón mixed his music as a part of the DJs at the Polls initiative, a national non-partisan effort to encourage voter participation in urban areas by hiring DJs for those locations on Election Day.
According to the DJs at the Polls website, voter turnout increased by 3% where DJs performed.
“DJs at the Polls believes that whole communities – whether they’re voters or not – should know that democracy is worthy of celebration,” reads the website.
Alarcón learned about the group through a friend, and he signed up after an open call.
“It’s doing my part — not just voting but promote the vote and help people come in and vote,” he said.
After his shift at the Cartwright School District Training Center in Phoenix ended, Alarcón brought the party to Surprise, Arizona, before returning to Cartwright in the afternoon. He said voters have responded positively to him.
“It keeps them hype,” Alarcón said. “I love bringing the party, man, setting the vibe, putting people in a good mood.”
— Tony Gutiérrez, Special for Cronkite News
Luke Houtz, a third-year student at Arizona State University, voted for the first time this year and was amazed to see the turnout at the polls on campus.
“There’s a lot of energy on campus, and I’m really excited to see (it),” Houtz said.
Houtz hopes voters, especially young voters, will turn out to the polls this year to vote on issues that affect them not only on the national level but also on the state and local levels.
“We’ve got the rest of our lives ahead of us, so we need to start setting a foundation for the political world that we’re going to be living in,” Houtz said.
A shuttle service, the “Trump Train,” offers to take people to voting centers with shorter waits than at ASU’s busy Tempe voting location. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
A booth set up outside of an ASU campus voting location offers food, pins, stickers and “Make America Great Again” hats. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
Anthony Bertran, 28, manned the “Trump Train” booth outside ASU’s Sun Devil Fitness Complex for Turning Point USA Tuesday. The organization, founded in 2012 by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, advocates for conservative politics on college campuses.
“I’ve been with Turning Point for a little over six months, and I just thought it was really important to get involved with an organization like this,” Bertran said. “There’s a lot of great things Turning Point stands for, and we’re just out here making sure that Americans that are of the age to vote understand how important it is to get out and exercise their right.”
Bertran’s booth handed out “Make America Great Again” hats, pins and stickers, along with chicken fingers and french fries from Raising Cane’s restaurant. The booth also helped direct people to the “Trump Train,” a bus service that offers to shuttle people to polling locations with shorter lines.
Despite the giveaways, Bertran said they are not trying to sway voters, but they want to make sure people are educated about the democratic process.
“(Our goal is) just to help educate people,” Bertran said. “I know we stand for one specifically, but we just think it’s important for people to really understand how important it is to vote.”
Bertran, who has been an Arizona resident for almost 10 years after moving from Southern California, reflected on his journey to Turning Point.
“I’ve always been a Republican … I’ve just kind of looked back at what’s important to me, and that’s what conservative and the Republican Party stands for,” Bertran said.
Before joining Turning Point, he was a student at Arizona State’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as NAU, before securing his master’s degree at Grand Canyon University.
”We really believe in the American dream, and people fought and died for our rights,” Bertran said.
Cassio Saverino, 68, stood across the street from Worship and Word Church in Peoria, Arizona, wearing an “AZ Loves Public Schools” graphic tee as he spoke to voters preparing to stand in the voting line. Saverino is at the polls today advocating for adequate public school funding in Arizona.
Saverino, who taught history in Arizona public schools for 35 years in the Deer Valley District, believes: “If you give somebody the opportunity for a good education, the rest is up to them, but you have to give them access to good and great public schools.”
Six years ago, following his retirement from public schools, Saverino began helping with political elections and advocacy during the David Garcia campaign when he realized, “Teachers are busy, and I have free time.”
Saverino is at the polls volunteering for Save Our Schools, an organization fighting for well-funded and well-resourced public schools, according to its website. Saverino hopes to “elect candidates and pass issues to help public schools in Arizona where 90% of kids go (to school).”
The former public school educator also believes education “advanced democracy.”
“It makes people smarter, it’s the great equalizer,” he said after sharing how he believes former Presidents Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman have engaged in efforts to better and create the current education system.
– Kennedy Chanell, Special for Cronkite News
Ethan Hammons, 19, a sophomore and executive vice president of student government at Mesa Community College, came to the polls Tuesday for the first time. He hopes that his vote, along with his peers, will make a difference in the results of the election.
“Young voters vote marginally less, and if we vote at the same (rate as those) 65-plus, then we would have the same power as older generations.” Hammons said. “With Arizona being a swing state, our voice matters more than if we’re in Texas or California, because we can actually make a change.”
Hammons hopes that the election will result in a candidate who will address inflation in the economy and the increasing wage gap.
“I feel like the wealth gap is getting bigger and bigger and bigger, and the middle class is getting smaller and smaller, and that is a social class I am part of,” Hammons said. “Making it more affordable to buy a house, more affordable to buy groceries, more affordable to go to school is what’s most important to me.”
A Donald Trump supporter carries a flag through group backing the campaign of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris at Arizona State’s Tempe campus. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
A student drops off a ballot at the USC campus Tuesday. (Photos by Emery Davis/Cronkite News)
Joy to the Polls, a non-partisan organization that encourages people to vote, shows off its truck in Civic Space Park Tuesday while playing music. (Photo by Zev Black/Cronkite News)
Members of the Western States Carpenters, a union that represents over 55,000 carpenters in Arizona, Southern California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, show their support in Civic Space Park Tuesday. (Photo by Zev Black/Cronkite News)
When poll chaplain Rev. Dontá McGilvery, 39, arrived at the Cartwright School District Training Center polling place this morning wearing a clerical collar, poll workers were curious. When he explained the poll chaplains’ role of helping keep the peace on Election Day, McGilvery said they welcomed the support.
“All of the workers, their faces lit up and (they) said, ‘Well, say a prayer for us for today that everything goes smoothly and calmly,” said McGilvery, the Outreach and Social Justice pastor at First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix.
McGilvery is one of the state co-leads for Faiths United to Save Democracy. In this role, he has coordinated more than 100 fellow poll chaplains throughout the state, primarily in polling locations identified as “vulnerable.”
“People have been coming with a smile on their face, walking in with confidence, walking out with confidence,” McGilvery said. “It says to me that they feel like they’re pretty safe.”
Not only have things remained calm at his site, but other chaplains have reported similar experiences.
“All the other reports are the same, that it’s so peaceful, so far, so good, in every place,” McGilvery said.
According to McGilvery, some poll chaplains came from other states to help with the peacekeeping efforts.
“They just want to serve here because they know how important this election is, and they are interested in politics here in Arizona, so they’re serving at a polling site today,” he said.
– Tony Gutiérrez, Special for Cronkite News
Alli Sreeni, a sophomore at ASU, voted for the first time at the polling center on campus, accompanied by a friend, Helen Thomson, who had already voted.
“Elections are such an important part of the future,” Sreeni said. “So voting just makes sure that I’m a part of that.”
Sreeni and Thomson, like many other young voters, were primarily concerned with issues such as abortion, climate control and the economy. Many young voters have said they find these issues are being threatened and they are important to their livelihoods.
“I feel as though the future generations living here need to be represented,” Thomson said.
Gabby Giffords, Sen. Mark Kelly and Rep. Ruben Gallego speak to young voters outside of a voting location at ASU’s Tempe Campus. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
Rep. Ruben Gallego told students at ASU that “we’re asking young people to again go out and change the world.” (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
Rep. Ruben Gallego passes out paletas, a frozen Mexican desert, to voters in Tempe. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
Students and young voters line up to vote at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Fitness Complex in Tempe. (Photo by Aryton Temcio/Cronkite News)
As Ruben Gallego continued his final day of campaigning around Arizona, he was joined by Sen. Mark Kelly and his wife Gabrielle Giffords outside Arizona State University’s polling station at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex.
With a crowd of supporters surrounding them, Gallego spoke to members of the media before all three addressed their supporters and stressed the election’s importance to young voters.
“If you’re voting for the first time, (it’s) the most important election of your lifetime,” Kelly said before Gallego added, “No pressure!” with a laugh from the crowd.
Kelly, a former Navy man, also said he needed another “partner” in the Senate to work on issues, one who has served just like him.
“Sometimes this is hard to say as a Navy guy, but we need another Marine in the United States Senate,” Kelly said jokingly. “And that Marine needs to be Ruben Gallego.”
Gallego then took the megaphone, to the delight of the surrounding supporters, and backed up Kelly’s statement of it being “the most consequential election of your lifetimes.”
“We’re putting that weight on your shoulders … We’re asking young people to again go out and change the world,” Gallego said. “Whether it was the civil rights movement, then (the) LGBT movement, women’s rights, it all started because young people decided this was a country that they wanted to make better.”
Gallego alternated between English and Spanish throughout his interviews and speeches, even while he passed out various flavors of paletas at the “Sun Devils for Harris Walz” campaign booth. In both languages, he thanked the thousands of students who are showing up to the polls.
“God bless these young men and women that are interested in politics and are willing to stick around in such a long line,” Gallego said. “They’re fighting for democracy.”
Gallego and Kelly finished speaking with a sentiment echoed by both Kelly and Giffords, before departing for another stop in downtown Phoenix.
“We encourage everyone to stay in line, because again we’re going to win this election by maybe a couple thousand votes,” Gallego said.
Jillian Joiner dons the “I Voted” sticker she received at the ASU Tempe voting center today. (Photo by Shi Bradley/Cronkite News)
While many Generation Z voters are voting for the first time, Jillian Joiner, an ASU graduate student and teaching associate, voted for the fourth time in the 2024 presidential election.
“It’s a fundamental right of every American, and it’s something that, you know, wasn’t at one point.” Joiner said.
Joiner believes that with the various avenues that exist for voting, young people should make an effort to get out to the polls this year, especially with so many important issues on the ballot.
“I think it’s been made so accessible for a lot of Americans, and so we just have to show up,” Joiner said. “You can mail in, you can drop: I just dropped off my ballot, so I filled it out, and it took 30 seconds, which I think, but even, like, the lines right now are that long.”
Voters wait in a long line at the vote center at Worship and Word Church in Peoria Tuesday. (Photo by Eddie McCoven/Special for Cronkite News)
As of 2 p.m., voter check-ins in Maricopa County hit 147,000, and officials remained pleased with the process.
“Every agency has dialed up for this,” Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said in a press conference. “We’ve done a lot of planning prior to this, and we have several emergency operation centers communication crossline.”
Polls in Arizona close at 7 p.m.
Election workers and officials have worked tirelessly since the early morning. The outcome of many races may not be known until the coming days. Lines have started to pick across many of the 246 voting centers in Maricopa County, with the ones affiliated with Arizona State University seeing some of the longest lines.
Look for updates on elections.maricopa.gov.
Democrats U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly; his wife, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords; and U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is running against Kari Lake for Arizona’s open U.S. Senate seat, visit Arizona State University’s Tempe campus to speak to student voters on Election Day.
Increased security presence, fence perimeter surround White House area for Election Day. (Photo by Grace Monos/Cronkite News)
Security was unusually tight around the White House for Election Day, with a fenced perimeter around the Executive Mansion, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the U.S. Treasury.
A high security fence surrounded Lafayette Park, preventing pedestrians from entering Pennsylvania Avenue, though construction is already underway for the reviewing stand used on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, directly in front of the White House.
Secret Service officers and Metropolitan Police have also stepped up their presence around the area.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Frida Stranne, an American politics professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, who said she has spent six presidential elections in the U.S. capital. “I was here in 2008, when Obama won. There were people all over (but) we could get very close to the normal fence outside the White House.”
Stranne wasn’t here in 2020, when a similar perimeter was erected.
A Secret Service officer said the measures were precautionary. As of mid-afternoon, there were no plans to close off the area entirely. The officer said the perimeter was meant to secure the area in the event of a protest or disturbance.
Peet’s Coffee, along with other nearby businesses, boarded up its storefronts, though it remained open.
One District of Columbia police officer said the department had an “all hands on deck” posture for Election Day. Road closures in the district were mainly restricted to the area around Howard University, Vice President Kamala Harris’ alma mater and site of her election watch party.
At the far end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Capitol Police arrested a man who “smelled like fuel, had a torch and a flare gun” as he tried to enter the Congressional Visitor Center earlier Tuesday.
Katie Quinn stands outside the polling location at ASU after having voted for the first time. (Photo by Shi Bradley/Cronkite News)
Katie Quinn, 18, made her way to polls on the ASU Tempe campus this morning, excited to vote for the first time.
“It’s the first election year where I can vote, and I think it’s just our civil duty to vote,” Quinn said.
Quinn believes it’s especially important to vote in the election this year, with initiatives such as Proposition 139 on the ballot, which would affect the viability of women in Arizona having abortions in the future.
“Our generation is the future, so it’s really important for us to vote,” Quinn said. “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain about what happens in the next few years.”
Francesca Martin, deputy director and co-founder of Keep Arizona Blue PAC, passes out donuts to voters on the ASU Tempe campus. (Photo by Shi Bradley/Cronkite News)
The Keep Arizona Blue student coalition has been passing out donuts and stickers to voters outside of the ASU Fitness Center during the early afternoon.
Francesca Martin, a sophomore at ASU and deputy director of the organization, grew up in a working-class family, which drew her to democratic values and led her to co-founding the organization.
“I know my family’s been directly affected by workers’ policies,” Martin said. “And I know that a presidential candidate like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are keeping working class and middle class families in mind when they’re promoting certain policies.”
Martin said the organization had given out over 100 donuts by 10 a.m., showing how many young voters came out early for the election.
“Arizona has won (previous elections) by such small margins, so it is extremely possible that a group like Gen Z can have the power to decide an election.” Martin said.
Kari Lake and her son Leo Halperin stand together as he proudly proclaims he voted for his mother as he filled out his ballot at the Mesa Convention Center in the election this morning. (Photo by Jalen Woody/Cronkite News)
Kari Lake and her son Leo Halperin traveled to Mesa Convention Center for her son to cast his ballot. Lake and her son, Halperin, arrived at the convention center 10 minutes after noon. They traveled in Lake’s monogrammed bus splashed with her picture.
After they both arrived at the convention center, the bus pulled over, and the media rushed to its side to capture a glimpse of Lake’s son. The crown rushed to a nearby sidewalk where Lake held a press conference.
She urged Republican voters to get to the polls no matter their circumstances. “I thank you for coming out and listening,” Lake said. “I hope that when you get in to cast your ballot today (and) that you realize I want to go to Washington, D.C., and make you proud and work hard for this state.”
During her press conference, Lake addressed fears of voter fraud and the importance of voting and ensuring the security of the country’s borders.
Election workers tabulate ballots at the Maricopa County Election Warehouse on Election Day. (Photo by Nash Darragh/Cronkite News)
In the Maricopa County Election Warehouse sits an American flag at each desk with a duo of bipartisan election workers, who are fast at work in the final stage of tabulation.
The ballots that are unable to be read by the printer are shared to computers where the pair of Republican and Democrat workers figure out who the vote was most likely for. Supervisors walk along the rows to help provide assistance when needed.
These computers are connected to the massive electronic storage unit in the back of the room that is holding onto all of the data for every Maricopa County Ballot.
Initial results are expected to be available at 8 p.m.
Twin brothers Justin, right, and Joseph Fisher, both Republicans, are casting their votes at the USC campus, expressing their enthusiasm to “Make America Great Again.” Justin Fisher said he had already voted early for Donald Trump and is concerned about potential unrest following election results. The twins expressed their hope for positive changes in line with their political views as they consider critical issues like border security, economic stability and inflation.
“One of his policies I’m interested in is the tax breaks on overtime. I think that’s going to help a lot of people,” Justin Fisher said. (Text by Brandelyn Clark and photo by Emery Davis/Cronkite News)
Reagan Gwynette, 18, is excited to cast her first-ever ballot in person at the University of Southern California campus. Originally from South Carolina, she opted to vote at her college polling place. Gwynette believes that the U.S. elections should focus more on “tensions with other countries” but not at the expense of local issues. Gwynette also looks forward to celebrating if her candidate wins. “I’ll treat myself to a cupcake,” said Gwynette. She is excited to participate in this historic day. (Text by Brandelyn Clark and photo by Emery Davis/Cronkite News)
Kyle Allen, a Democratic voter, stood in a growing line of students waiting to vote in the bustling USC Village. He expressed a mix of excitement and anxiety about the upcoming election, noting the significant voter turnout expected from youth and older Americans. Allen emphasized the importance of civic duty and said he hopes voter participation will lead to change. He is concerned about the potential influence of social media on post-election perceptions. Critical issues for Allen include financial support for schools and addressing social structures to empower disenfranchised groups, aiming for progress and equality. (Text by Brandelyn Clark and photo by Emery Davis/Cronkite News)
Under a hot sun, students fan themselves with pink ballots as the polling line grows at USC Village. Chase Landa, a USC student, stands with friends inching closer to the voting building, still undecided on his candidate. Though he identifies as a moderate, he leans Republican. When asked what excites him most about this election, Landa replied, “For it to be over, to be honest; there’s just a lot of stress around it.” Landa worries about the outcomes, fearing shifts toward extremes like dictatorship or socialism. Regardless of the results, he plans to celebrate by continuing his everyday, happy life. (Text by Brandelyn Clark and photo by Emery Davis/Cronkite News)
From left, Mike Bertocchi, Mark Sid and Kylie Barber have a table outside at Mesa Community College and are urging voters to vote “no” on Proposition 140. (Photo by Keller Brown/Cronkite News)
Outside of Mesa Community College, Republican precinct captains Mark Sid and Mike Bertocchi are informing voters on what exactly is on the ballots, including handing out literature that breaks everything down. Sid and Bertocchi started outside of the community college at 7 a.m.
Both are helping educate voters on what exactly is on the ballot.
“Part of our duties is to support the people with the Republican Party,” Bertocchi said. Not only do we give them what they should vote for, we think, but we give them why. Our job is to get information out to the voters.”
“This voting is taking four pages,” Bertocchi said. “We show them an abbreviated one that shows, of course, our favorite.”
One proposition in particular, Proposition 140, which looks at changing the state’s electoral system, is not something Bertocchi is a fan of.
“We don’t happen to like the way California did that, so we put that in our literature we give them, so they can see why we’re talking about things,” Bertocchi said. “It helps a lot of them that aren’t familiar or don’t have the time to look up every one of these.”
As precinct captains, both Bertocchi and Sid are responsible to their precinct committeemen, and they help them get whatever they need.
“The precinct committeemen drive everything,” Sid said. “All I do is facilitate the efforts of my precinct committeemen.”
Sid also wants people to know that while politics are nationwide, they first start in the neighborhoods.
“We’re big on walking neighborhoods and getting to know people,” Sid said. “Nobody should ever forget that all politics are local.”
Alberto Plantillas, a master’s student at Arizona State University, passes out stickers and touts the importance of voting at ASU on Election Day. (Photo by Shi Bradley/Cronkite News)
Alberto Plantillas, a master’s student at Arizona State University, has been a member of the Arizona Students’ Association for nearly three years, working his way up to Central Regional Director of the organization.
Today, Plantillas is outside of a polling center at ASU, passing out stickers and spreading the word about the importance of voting, especially for young people.
“We’re trying to raise awareness (and) encourage people from all parties, all affiliations or no affiliations, to vote and participate in democracy,” Plantillas said.
Plantillas believes that young voters participating in this election cycle is especially important regarding issues such as the economy and minimum wage.
“Anything relating to minimum wage or the affordability crisis is going to affect students primarily, especially because they’re barely entering the workforce,” Plantillas said.
No matter a person’s party or political affiliation, Plantillas urges young folks to show up to the polls and follow their civic duty.
“Whatever you believe should be represented in Congress,” Plantillas said. “But you should also be informed and make sure that you vote for the person that represents your values.”
Amanda Rincon is a candidate for the Tolleson Elementary School District Governing Board. (Photo by Kennedy Chanell/Special for Cronkite News)
“It’s just exciting to see them using their voice,” said Amanda Rincon, 37, referring to her former students exercising their rights to vote. Rincon is a first-time candidate for the Tolleson Elementary School District Governing Board. Six candidates are competing for three seats on the board.
Rincon worked in the Tolleson Elementary School District for six years, teaching first, second and fourth grade at Porfirio H. Gonzales Elementary School.
Rincon has been at the polls with fellow candidates, Alva Cano and Clorinda Erives, since 5:30 a.m., passing out chips, crackers and water to the long line of voters at the Tolleson Civic Center. She compares the experience to a Disneyland ride.
While passing out treats, Rincon thanks voters in line, encouraging them to understand what is on their ballots.
“Make sure you’re voting on your district bonds and overrides, all of those things,” Rincon said.
Tolleson Elementary is one of the highest-paying school districts in the West Valley, according to Rincon, yet the retention rate of educators is low.
“As governing board members, we’re going to be able to ask those questions and be able to get the answers we need not only from the district office viewpoint but also from the financial aspect.”
Rincon wants to support the district’s growth if elected and retain the “excellent teachers that we have in the state.”
– Kennedy Chanell, Special to Cronkite News
People with the Western State Carpenters, an organization representing over 55,000 carpenters in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, have signs in support of Kate Gallego and Kamala Harris at the Burton Barr Central Library. (Photo by Thomas Forbes/Cronkite News)
Spokespeople for Western State Carpenters, an organization representing over 55,000 carpenters in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, is at the Burton Barr Central Library focusing on three initiatives – jobs, wages and benefits.
“I am in a consulting group that works with the carpenters,” said Cesar Corral, who is a carpenter himself. “We’re fighting for advocating for labor rights, advocating for heat advisory rights, and anything that’s going to get us to win this election.”
Jorge Pereyda supports union workers and believes Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will create more jobs.
“We have over 90,000 members in our council,” Pereyda said. “We got our metal stud framers, we build schools, hospitals, we build bridges, we build buildings. We build it all. If you drove on it, to get to it, we built it. That’s what we do.”
County and elections officials hold a news conference at the Maricopa Elections Warehouse. (Photo by Nash Darragh/Cronkite News)
The officials at the Maricopa Elections Warehouse, which stores and manages election-related materials, held their first press conference of the day, giving a brief breakdown of the early votes.
“We have already had over 93,000 people check in to vote this morning,” Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said. “It’s going very well right now out there at our 246 vote centers across Maricopa County. Right now, the average wait time is about two minutes long.”
Gates anticipates the longest wait times will be between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and encourages voters “to make a plan.”
So far, the Maricopa Elections Warehouse has not encountered any issues, and the tabulation is going, as Gates said, “smoothly.” The officials expect the votes to pick up more in the afternoon.
Maricopa County will release first results at 8 p.m., which is expected to include a big portion of the early ballots.
Gates directs voters with questions to locations.maricopa.vote.
Kylie Barber, 32, is running for Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 9. Photo taken at Mesa Community College on Election Day. (Photo by Keller Brown/Cronkite News)
Kylie Barber, Republican candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives, Legislative District 9, believes there are many issues that this country needs to solve.
Barber is outside of Mesa Community College notifying Arizonans of what she stands for.
“One of the things I think this country needs most is a radical shift back towards personal accountability and family values,” Barber said. “People care about a safe and secure border.”
Barber wants people to know that it’s not about her, it’s about representing the people that she’s running for. She is all for representing family values and education.
“People want access to the type of education that best fits their child and their families needs,” Barber said.
Outside of general issues, Barber calls herself a nerd with an interest in space policy.
“I would love to see Arizona become sort of a space tourism hub, bring in money and support our economy on that front as well,” she said.
Outside of Arizona, Barber thinks that Donald Trump demonstrates unity.
“A desire to galvanize around our communities, and actually exercise love and compassion in order to solve problems,” Barber said. “I can’t think of a better example.”
A ballot drop box is set up at Peoria City Hall on Election Day. (Photo by Kennedy Chanell/Special for Cronkite News)
Peter Piper Pizza hands out free pizza to voters in front of the Burton Barr Central Library in downtown Phoenix. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
A group of supporters for Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego stands in front of the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. Gallego is running for reelection against Matt Evans. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Dontá McGilvery of Faiths United to Save Democracy is outside of the Cartwright School District Training Center polling location acting as poll chaplain and peacekeeper. (Photo by Ignacio Ventura/Cronkite News)
Haley Winch votes at the Ability360 Center on Election Day. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Haley Winch is a 31-year-old mother who voted in person today at the Ability360 polling center in Phoenix. Winch is passionate about making sure her daughter has a future that she can thrive in, expressing how important it is for her to vote for women’s rights and the future of the country.
Winch voted in person to witness her ballot was successfully cast because she is well aware of the recent incident in Phoenix when someone set a mailbox filled with ballots on fire.
Another reason Winch voted in person was to amend a mistake she made on a previous ballot. She’s making sure to cover her bases.
“I think we’re all anxious on both sides on which way this is going to go, but all we can do is vote,” Winch said.
Carlos Galindo-Elvira is running for the Phoenix City Council District 7. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Carlos Galindo-Elvira, who is running for the Phoenix City Council, wants to see the residents of Maricopa County vote.
“The fact that Maricopa County is now purple means we will not be ignored in any election, especially presidential elections,” Galindo-Elvira said. “We will expect to see the candidates come here and ask for their vote and not to just fly over us … much like they used to in Iowa, much like they used to in New Hampshire.”
Galindo-Elvira believes voting is an investment in democracy.
“You’re doing your part to make sure that there are free and fair elections. So it’s OK to be stressed. It’s OK to be cautiously optimistic, whichever party you belong to, but the most important thing is to cast your ballot,” Calindo-Elvira said.
Kendra Flory, 42, hands the Democratic voter guide to voters in front of Ability360 Center. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
The grounds of the Ability360 main office is a lively atmosphere for voters in the early morning of election day.
Steven Jackson is a probate attorney who hands out voter guides and has been on the side of the Democratic party since 2018.
“The vibe here is very positive,” Jackson said. “We had a DJ out here. People were dancing. They were very cold early in the morning, but we’ve been passing out candy to try and make sure everybody gets a little sugar, (and) a little energy.”
Jackson is grateful for the way voters have been handling the day so far.
“I think democrats are very happy overall, and I think a lot of people are just kind of relieved that there’s not this kind of tension at the polls right now.”
Jake Colaric and daughter Elisabeth stand together at Scottsdale City Hall as Colaric drops off his ballot in the dropbox. (Photo by Jalen Woody/Cronkite News)
Jake Colaric and his 9-year-old daughter Elisabeth stand together as Colaric drops off his ballot at the Scottsdale City Hall.
For Colaric, city hall is the most trustworthy location to drop off ballots to ensure that his vote is counted.
“I get it (the ballot) in the mail, and that way I can actually research what I’m voting for,” Colaric said. “I don’t listen to all the propaganda. I do my own research, my own reading, along with my wife, who is a member of the other party and we’re able to bounce ideas off one another and try to be educated voters.”
He took his daughter to the ballot drop-off because she was home sick from school. Coralic wanted to give her a mini civic engagement lesson that highlights the importance of voting.
“As we were walking out, I told her, ‘This is the single most important thing you can do as a citizen, and I expect her to do the same when she turns 18 years old,” Colaric said.
A’ja Sanders campaigns for Anna Hernandez, who is running for Phoenix City Council District 7, at the Burton Barr Central Library. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
A’ja Sanders has been campaigning for Anna Hernandez, who is running for Phoenix City Council District 7, and she has a message to voters who might worry about the outcome of the elections.
“Self-care,” Sanders said. “That’s what I’m doing when I get home – I need to meditate and need to pray because, literally, this has been the most I’ve been canvassing for six months.”
Sanders says she has been feeling anxious about the election, but her self-care routine has been keeping her nerves at ease.
Ahmad Daniels speaks with Cronkite News on the morning of the general election. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Ahmad Daniels has been voting in the general election since 1972.
This time, Daniels voted for a third-party candidate for president, Jill Stein of the Green Party, over the traditional Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.
“I cast my vote through mail about two or three weeks ago,” Daniels said Tuesday. “I was very glad to open up the ballot and see that Jill Stein’s name was on there. I’m 76 years old, so I’ve been voting for a heck of a long time, and this is my first time voting for a third party. This was the only time in my life thus far that I could not, in good conscience and good faith, pull the lever for Harris or Trump.”
Daniels is a passionate voter who has been in conversations with residents around the city regarding topics.
(Photo by Nash Darragh/Cronkite News)
Maricopa Elections Warehouse volunteers are counting every incoming ballot. The voting closes tonight at 7:00 p.m., and the Maricopa County officials will not give their first full report until around 8:00 p.m.
Security and police officers are securing the fenced-off building. Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates has confirmed 56,000 checked-in voters in the first three hours. That number is expected to soar later in the day as lines are still relatively short across the 246 Maricopa County voting centers. The 1.5 million early voters make up more than half the registered voters in the county.
Chris Love, a spokesperson for Yes on Prop. 139 speaks with voters at the Burton Barr Central Library on Election Day. (Photo by Thomas Forbes/Cronkite News)
Chris Love, 46, says he is a spokesperson for “Yes on Prop 139” – the proposition that could establish the statewide “fundamental right to abortion.”
“I ended up serving as the board chair for Planned Parenthood Advocates for a number of years,” Love said.
Love voted by mail a few weeks before Election Day and arrived early to a polling station to speak with voters at the Burton Barr Central Library.
She said voters have been respectful and the environment was pleasant. Love is “confident” the election system is secure and encourages everyone to go out and vote.
A voting sign stands at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community center as voters rush to cast their vote on election day. (Photo by Jalen Woody/Cronkite News)
Ulrick Turner and his wife, Natasha Lopez, stand before the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community center as the cool breeze blows. The polls open at the community center as the couple walks into the building to cast their votes.
“Everything gets crazy around voting time,” Lopez said. “I’ve seen the stories about them burning ballot boxes (for mail-in ballots). I’d rather just go do it myself.”
Lopez said she is an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and chose this community center to cast her vote because she lives here and trusts that her vote will be counted.
At the community center, a booth stands with Arizona Native Vote signs plastered all over it.
Derrick Beetso and fellow volunteer Morgan Oakes sit in front of the booth to provide information about voting to help ease the worries of Indigenous voters as they cast their votes on Election Day.
Both volunteers come from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law’s Indian Legal Clinic. Both are members of the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project. The project was introduced in 2008 and aims to protect the right to vote for Native Americans after some were disenfranchised by the Arizona Proposition 200. This proposition represents Arizona’s voter identification law.
“(We) try to create a space for people to ask questions, to address issues on voting day and monitor how elections are being carried out in the state,” Beetso said. “I am a trained attorney, and I feel through that role, we have responsibilities to make sure that everybody knows that their rights are being taken care of and addressed.”
Over 55,000 voters have checked in at voting centers across Maricopa County as of 9 a.m.
Tolleson Civic Center, Indian Bend Wash Visitor Center, Surprise City Hall, Memorial Presbyterian Church and Mesa Community College are experiencing the most traffic.
The county recommends alternative nearby sites. The average wait time across all centers is around 1 minute.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego speaks to the media as in-person voting begins on Election Day in front of the Burton Barr Central Library in downtown Phoenix. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Rebecca Collins and her daughter Rose, 2, take a photo after getting a donut from Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego at the Burton Barr Central Library. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Voters and advocates gather outside Burton Barr Central Library. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
Yassmin Ansari, the democratic nominee for CD3, and Phoenix District 7 City Councilman Carlos Galindo-Elvira hand out donuts to voters at the Burton Barr Library in downtown Phoenix. (Photo by Aya Abdeen/Cronkite News)
On this historic Election Day, the Arizona Democratic Party is hosting a table in front of the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix to support Yassamin Ansari for Congress.
Ansari is attending alongside Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Phoenix City Councilman Carlos Galindo-Elvira, encouraging people to vote and handing out donuts.
“We have great energy at the public library,” Gallego said. “We have voters and volunteers of all ages. We have people who are really passionate about this community and what it stands for.”
Ansari is looking to become the second Iranian-American voted into Congress.
“I’m really excited to be running for Congress as a daughter of immigrants,” Ansari said. “The United States is an incredible (and) special place because we are open and welcoming to immigrants and refugees, and everyone in this country as an immigrant.”
Ansari hopes to pay her way forward and be an example of what is possible for immigrants coming to the US.
“For me, it means a lot that my parents were able to come to this country, work hard, and now their daughter is running for Congress, and I hope to be a representative for all immigrant communities.”
(Photo by Brendon Pricco/Cornkite News)
Maricopa County opens 246 vote centers where Arizonans can cast their ballots between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. today. With over 2.5 million registered voters, the busiest voting sites could see over 2,000 voters throughout the day.
The county officials will release the first results of early tabulated ballots at 8 p.m., and results from ballots cast in person will be released afterward.
The county received approximately 1.5 million verified ballots from early voters as of November 4, and these results can account for around 55% of all total votes on the night.
Staff
News Reporter, Phoenix
Anne Perry expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Perry has interned as a photographer and videographer at BJ Media.
Wilder Adams expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism, a minor in French and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Adams has interned at Varsity Sports Show as a commentator, was a part of the 2024 Paris Olympics reporting team for Cronkite News and operates a basketball platform on Instagram and X called @whatsontapnba.
De’Aundre Sanders expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in sports journalism. Sanders works as a part-time sports producer for IHeartMedia, responsible for producing sports scripts for 19 markets in the eastern region. Sanders completed undergrad at Eastern New Mexico University serving as a sports reporter and anchor for PBS KENW News 3 New Mexico, where he earned an outstanding student award. He also earned dean’s list honors and was a former junior college and NCAA Division II football player.
Macy Markham expects to graduate in Spring 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Markham has served as an undergraduate student government senator for the Cronkite School as well as a video reporter for The State Press.
Lauren Bly expects to graduate in Fall 2024. Bly has interned at Scripps News D.C., ABC15 Arizona and KAZT-TV. She now works at Arizona PBS as a content creation assistant. After graduation, Bly wants to be a reporter/MMJ.
Sienna Monea expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in journalism. Monea has interned for Arizona PBS and is interning as a broadcast reporter for Arizona’s Family.
Sam Datin expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. Datin has interned as a play-by-play commentator for the Nashua Silver Knights.
Lauren Avenatti expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Avenatti has interned at NewsNation, FOX Sports and KNWA/FOX24.
“Jason Goldie expects to graduate in Summer 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Goldie interned with the Varsity Media Foundation, where he continues to freelance. He has also co-hosted the Varsity Sports Show weekly radio show on KDUS AM 1060 in Phoenix. He also participates in live play-by-play for Inferno TV and Blaze Radio. “
Iman Abraham expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in sports journalism. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in marketing from Prairie View A&M University. Abraham has interned at KPVU-TV as a reporter, anchor, host and producer in Prairie View, Texas.
Ryan Pasiecznik expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and a minor in political science. Pasiecznik has previously served as a digital media intern at Arizona Sports.
Alissa Firestone expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in sociology. Firestone has a deep passion for storytelling and has interned as a reporter for a few different news outlets, including as a sports broadcaster and producer for the Varsity Sports Show.
Stella Tai expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in sports journalism. Tai has interned as a reporter at The Varsity Sports Show.
Ignacio Ventura expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in mass communication. He attended the University of Southern California where he served as a news staff writer and multimedia journalist. In 2023, he joined KJZZ News as a reporter.
Jackson Sutter expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. Sutter has been a broadcast producer for Cronkite News and a photojournalist intern for Arizona’s Family.
Doyal D’angelo expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in Sports Journalism. He has recently covered the 2024 Paris Olympics and has done magazine work for USA Today as a freelancer.
Brendon Pricco expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and a minor in film and media production. Brendon has interned with Sun Devil Athletics and served as the managing editor for Sun Devil Daily.
Nash Darragh expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a degree in sports journalism. Darragh has interned with the Varsity Sports Show and looks to further his intern experience before graduation.
Aya Abdeen expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and a minor in communication. Abdeen is a women’s basketball contributing writer for The Next. She has also been a part of Blaze Radio and The State Press.
Tom Forbes expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Forbes has interned as a producer at PBS NewsHour and announces sports for ASU and other professional sports teams in Arizona.
Jalen Woody expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in English. Woody interned as a reporter at the Navajo Times from 2022 to 2024.
Ignacio Ventura expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in mass communication. He attended the University of Southern California where he served as a news staff writer and multimedia journalist. In 2023, he joined KJZZ News as a reporter.
Shi Bradley expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in business. Bradley interns at PBS NewsHour West, freelances for the Phoenix New Times and Phoenix Magazine, and serves as the executive editor for The Downtown Devil. Bradley also has interned at The Arizona Republic.
Keller Brown expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in sports journalism. Brown has previously interned with KJZZ News in Phoenix.
Grace Monos expects to graduate in Spring 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Monos has worked as a photographer and recently traveled to Africa to report on the increase of teen pregnancy in Rwanda.
Phineas Hogan expects to graduate in Spring 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. He is a member of the Dow Jones News Fund Class of 2024 and has previously written for The State Press, Trenton Journal and Advertising Specialty Institute.
Emery Davis expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. Davis has interned with Phoenix Magazine as a photographer and has been a digital reporter for seven years.
Brandelyn Clark is set to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication. Clark has interned as a multimedia reporter for Lake Affect Magazine in Rochester, New York, and ICT News.
Aryton Temcio expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Temcio served as a digital and social media producer for the Cronkite News Phoenix: Sports Bureau and has written for MMA Underground and the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
Fletcher Anderson expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Anderson has worked closely with Ottawa University-Arizona as an intern and an announcer across a variety of sports.
Zev Black expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Born in Oakland, California, Black has been working for the San Fransisco Giants as a Hawk-Eye game operator since 2021.
Kendall Flynn expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and a minor in Spanish. Flynn has interned with the Varsity Sports Show as a social media manager and AdPro 360 marketing and communications.
Aaron Stigile expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication and minors in Spanish and political science. Stigile has worked for The State Press, Made in Córdoba and Crime and Justice News.
Anne-Marie Iemmolo expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in sports journalism. Iemmolo received her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and has interned as a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen.
Dylan Wickman expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a marketing certificate. He has interned as a reporter with the Arizona Republic, as a content producer for Sport Endorse and has done work with clubs such as Blaze Radio and Cronkite Sports.
Saleh Awwad expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Awwad has published content as a writer and reporter for AZPreps365 and Burn City Sports. He is interning as a sports videographer at BJ Media.
Gabriel Garza expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Garza has a passion for telling stories through visual work and previously interned at Artlink PHX.
Tucker L. Sennett expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Sennett has spent over a year as editor-in-chief of Inferno Intel and completed an editorial internship for 270 Media LLC in California.
Daniella Trujillo expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and a minor in digital audiences. Trujillo has interned as a photographer for BJ Media.
Mia Osmonbekov expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish and plans to complete a master’s degree in mass communication. Osmonbekov has interned as a reporter at the Arizona Capitol Times and La Voz del Interior.
Samuel Nute expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication. Nute has interned in multiple roles including writing, video production and marketing, and he is coming off an internship in Berlin.
Patrick Holleron expects to graduate in Fall 2024 with a master’s degree in sports journalism. He graduated from the University of Washington in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies. Holleron served as a writer for Fantasy Trading Room and a communications intern for Columbus Radio Group.
Anastasia Smith expects to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in history. Smith has interned as a graphic designer for Arizona State Athletics’ social media accounts.