Early voting is underway for Arizona’s Nov. 3 general election, but the ballot in one Maricopa household may not match the ballot in another. Pinal County publishes separate sample ballots for different precincts and political boundaries, and city, school-district and county questions can appear together in different combinations.
The safest approach is simple: verify your voter record first, identify the sample ballot tied to that record and then use the official ballot—not a campaign mailer or social-media list—as the final authority on what you can vote on.
Start with your voter record, match the precinct or ballot style on Pinal County’s official sample-ballot page, and make a return plan. Graphic: OurMaricopa, based on Pinal County and Arizona election resources.
Step 1: verify your voter record and voting location
Use Arizona’s official voter information portal to look up your registration information and voting location. Enter the information requested by the state site rather than relying on an address printed in an older election notice.
This first check helps resolve the most common source of confusion: “Maricopa” can describe the city, a mailing address or a broader area, but election contests follow legal district and precinct boundaries. City of Maricopa voters are in Pinal County, not Maricopa County.
If your voter record does not look right, use the contact information on the official portal or contact Pinal County Elections before casting a ballot. OurMaricopa cannot determine an individual voter’s eligibility or ballot style.
Step 2: match the official Pinal County sample ballot
Pinal County’s 2026 General Election sample-ballot page lists multiple ballot styles. Match the identifying information from your voter record or mailed ballot to the county’s official sample.
Do not assume every City of Maricopa voter will see the same list. Depending on the registered address and district boundaries, a ballot can include different combinations of federal and state contests, Pinal County offices, judicial retention questions, City of Maricopa races, school-district questions and other measures.
For city voters, the Nov. 3 ballot includes the remaining City Council contest. The city’s official candidate page lists Tena Dugan, Vincent Manfredi, Chrystal O’Jon and Henry Wade for the general-election ballot. AnnaMarie Knorr won a seat in the primary and is not part of that four-candidate general-election field.
Maricopa-area voters may also encounter local questions such as the city’s General Plan measure, Proposition 414, and the Maricopa Unified School District override, Proposition 416. Whether a measure appears on your ballot depends on the official ballot style. OurMaricopa’s guides to Proposition 414 and Proposition 416 provide context, but neither replaces the ballot issued to you.
Step 3: choose a return method before the deadline
Pinal County says a mailed ballot must be received by Election Day; a postmark alone does not make it timely. County officials advise voters to place a completed ballot in the mail by Friday, Oct. 23, to allow enough delivery time for the Nov. 3 election.
If Oct. 23 has passed, or if a voter simply prefers another method, use an authorized drop box or in-person voting location listed by Pinal County. Check the county’s early-voting information before leaving because locations and operating hours are date-specific.
After returning a ballot, use Pinal County’s Where’s My Ballot? service to check its status. Tracking can confirm whether the county received and processed the ballot and can give a voter time to follow official instructions if a problem appears.
A five-minute ballot check
Before marking or returning a ballot:
Confirm the voter record on My.Arizona.Vote.
Match the precinct or ballot style to Pinal County’s official sample.
Read the exact title and language printed on the official ballot.
Choose mail, drop box or in-person voting based on the current date.
Track a returned early ballot through the county service.
Campaign materials, news stories and voter guides can help explain an issue. They can also be incomplete, outdated or aimed at a different jurisdiction. The official voter record and official ballot remain the controlling documents.
Early voting began Oct. 7. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Pinal County’s upcoming-elections page is the central county source for those dates and election updates.
Sources
Pinal County Elections — “2026 General Election Sample Ballots.” https://www.pinal.gov/1847/2026-General-Election-Sample-Ballots. Accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
Pinal County Elections — “Upcoming Elections.” https://www.pinal.gov/297/Upcoming-Elections. Accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
Arizona Secretary of State — “My Arizona Vote: Voter Information.” https://my.arizona.vote/WhereToVote.aspx?s=address. Accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
Pinal County — “Where’s My Ballot?” https://www.pinal.gov/1620/Wheres-My-Ballot. Accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
Pinal County — early-ballot return guidance. https://explore.pinal.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/2552. Published for the 2026 general election; accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
Pinal County Elections — “Early Voting Information.” https://explore.pinal.gov/273/Early-Voting-Information. Accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
City of Maricopa — “Candidate Information.” https://www.maricopa-az.gov/Departments/City-Clerks-Office/Elections/Candidate-Information. Accessed Oct. 10, 2026.
Voters should verify their record first, match the county’s official sample and then follow the ballot issued to them. Photo: OurMaricopa graphic based on official state and Pinal County election resources.