Mail-In Voting Dominates as Arizona's CD7 Special Election Sees Strong Turnout
PHOENIX – Voters across Arizona’s 7th Congressional District are participating in today’s special election in large numbers, with the vast majority choosing to vote by mail — continuing a long-standing trend in the state.
More than 82,000 early ballots had been returned by Friday, and over 92% of voters in the CD7 primary earlier this summer also voted by mail. That momentum appears to be carrying into today’s general election.
“The bipartisan trust we’re seeing now shows just how far Arizona has come since the audit-driven chaos of 2021,” said Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. “Voters believe in the system—and they’re showing it by turning out in strong numbers.”
Recent polling from Noble Predictive Insights’ Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) shows overwhelming support for maintaining or expanding mail-in voting access. According to the survey:
- 75% of Arizona voters want to keep the current system (43%) or make it easier (32%)
- Only 18% favor stricter mail-in voting rules
- Among Republicans, 68% want to keep or ease the system; only 28% favor more restrictions
“Mail-in voting has become normalized in Arizona,” said Mike Noble, CEO of Noble Predictive Insights. “While Trump can still stir up skepticism, even among Republicans, there's no longer a broad base demanding rollbacks. Most voters are ready to move on and keep the system stable.”
Voter confidence is also climbing, with 70% of Arizonans expressing trust in the fairness of upcoming elections—a 12-point increase since 2021. Republican and Democratic voters now report nearly identical confidence levels (77% and 75%, respectively). Among self-identified “Trump-first” Republicans, 70% say they still trust the process.
Voter Reminders and Key Details
Election officials are urging voters not to mail their ballots today but to hand-deliver them to any vote center in their county. Voters with signature issues can use the Text2Cure tool through Sunday, September 28 at 5:00 p.m.
Ballots can be tracked via the Track My Ballot portal, and voter assistance is available at 1-877-THE-VOTE from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
CD7 Election Snapshot
Spanning six counties and home to over 440,000 active voters, Congressional District 7 features a diverse array of candidates:
- Adelita Grijalva (Democratic Party)
- Daniel Francis Butierez Jr. (Republican Party)
- Eduardo Quintana (Green Party)
- Richard Grayson (No Labels Party)
- Plus, nine certified write-in candidates
Early ballot returns by county:
| County | Ballots Sent | Returned | % Returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pima | 181,732 | 58,537 | 32.21% |
| Maricopa | 41,718 | 7,364 | 17.65% |
| Yuma | 43,679 | 6,872 | 15.73% |
| Santa Cruz | 21,269 | 5,154 | 24.23% |
| Cochise | 12,707 | 3,931 | 30.94% |
| Pinal | 2,474 | 556 | 22.47% |
Total ballots returned: 82,414 (27.15%)
Total ballots sent: 303,579
What’s Next?
- Initial election results will be posted starting at 8:00 p.m. tonight
- County canvasses are due by October 9
- Statewide canvass is scheduled for October 14 at 10:00 a.m.
- Deadline to file an election contest: October 20, 2025
State Covers Election Costs
The State of Arizona is fully funding the CD7 special election, ensuring counties are reimbursed for costs and able to conduct the election with full support. This funding came from a legislative budget allocation earlier this year.