Important Note:
Voting Centers will not be implemented for the November 3, 2009 Council Elections because the plan must be approved by the U. S. Department of Justice.

• Overview of Voting Center Concept

• Voting Center Benefits

• Resident Feedback

• Potential Voting Center Locations

• Map of Potential Voting Center Locations

• Sign Up to Receive Voting Center Updates

Overview of Voting Center Concept

On June 2, 2009, the City Council approved a change to the polling place voting process that responds to needs and preferences of Phoenix voters, while enhancing the convenience of casting a ballot at the polls. The plan is to implement Voting Centers in City of Phoenix elections. Under the plan, 26 Voting Centers would replace traditional polling places, making voting more convenient and flexible. The process for early voting by mail would not change.

During the last 17 years, voting at the polls in City of Phoenix elections has steadily declined, while early voting by mail has increased, as shown in the Voting Trends Chart below.

Under state law, any registered voter may request to be added to a Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) to automatically receive a ballot by mail for all elections. In Phoenix, almost 250,000 voters are on the PEVL. For the May 2008 Election, the first time the PEVL was used, 96 percent of votes cast were by mail. In City elections since 2001, ballots by mail averaged about 85 percent of all ballots cast.

Currently, 128 polling places are established for voting on Election Day and voters are limited to voting at one specific polling place. Other challenges with the current process include:

• Voter confusion due to the same polling place locations not always being available.
• Some polling place locations are not always convenient for daily schedules.
• The number of facilities to use as polling places and available board workers continues to decline.

For these reasons, the City Council approved the Voting Center plan. This plan will apply only to City of Phoenix elections and will be implemented for City elections beginning in 2010 after receiving U.S. Department of Justice approval.

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• Ease of Voting. Unlike voting at polling places, voters would not be limited to the one location near where they live. Voters could vote at any Voting Center that is convenient, whether close to home, work, or other activities.
• Multiple Days. Voting Centers would be open for several days for varied hours, such as the Saturday and Monday before the Tuesday Election Day. On Election Day, Voting Centers would be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., which are the same hours as polling places.
• Improved Sites, Service and Support. Voting Centers would be located on main streets and transit routes and in business and shopping cores. Only the best locations and most qualified board workers would be used.
• Reduced Need for Provisional Ballots. Voters who do not vote their early ballot would not have to vote a provisional ballot at a Voting Center because the early ballot would be cancelled. Since voters can vote at any location, provisional ballots would be necessary only when voters lack the required identification or need to update their registration.
• Cost Savings. The significant reduction in the number of locations and workers required, and the staff time required to secure the facilities, store, prepare and deliver supplies, and secure and train election board workers, would reduce election costs dramatically. It is estimated this process would decrease election costs by approximately $250,000.

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Resident Feedback

If you would like to learn more, or if you have any questions, or feedback, please contact the City Clerk Department by phone at 602-261-VOTE (8683) or TTY 602-534-2737, or by email at elections@phoenix.gov.

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