Ballot Cure Period Closing Soon

PHOENIX – Elections are never finished on Election Day, in part because Arizona law gives voters time to correct certain issues with their ballots.

“In the next few days, Arizonans likely are going to hear about ‘curing’ ballots,” Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said. “Arizona law includes this important step to help ensure all eligible votes are counted.”

Voters return early ballots in official envelopes that include an affidavit that the voter must sign and date. Trained election workers will verify the voter’s signature by comparing it to other signatures on file from the Department of Motor Vehicle records, voter registration forms, or previous early ballots. If the signatures do not match, election officials will try to contact the voter and verify the eligibility of the ballot. State law provides voters five business days after Nov. 3 to verify, or cure, their signature, unlike ballots that are returned without a signature at all. There is no cure period for missing signatures after Election Day.

Voters can check the status of an early ballot at the Your Voter Info tab on Arizona.Vote. If it shows “Accepted,” the ballot was verified and counted. If it shows “Rejected,” the voter should contact their county recorder immediately. Depending on the county, voters can typically cure their signature over the phone.

Additionally, if an eligible voter does not have sufficient identification with them on Election Day, they may cast a conditional provisional ballot. Statute also allows voters five business days to show sufficient identification to county election officials for these ballots to be counted. 

The deadline to cure a signature or provide identification in most counties, falls on Nov. 10. For counties that are closed on Fridays, the deadline is Nov. 12.  For more information, including ways to contact county election officials, visit Arizona.Vote or call 1-877-THE-VOTE.

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