Maricopa County election officials expect up to 150,000 voters to cast ballots in person Tuesday across metro Phoenix.

Voting centers will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for in-person voting and for early voters to continue to drop off ballots. 

If you are not registered to vote in the primary election, there's still time to register before the November general election. You can do so online or by printing out a voter registration form and mailing it to your county recorder's office any time before Oct. 11. 

Before you head to the polls, here's what you need to know.

Tuesday's election is a primary, which means voters will select a political party nominee to compete in the the Nov. 8 general election.

Statewide, voters will select nominees to face off in November for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, as well as key posts such as governor, secretary of state, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction. Voters also can decide who will face off for seats in the state Legislature in the November election, if someone from their party is running.

You also may encounter local races on your ballot. Since city and town elections are nonpartisan, those races could be decided on Tuesday or go to a runoff election in November if candidates don't secure the required number of votes.  

Voter in Maricopa County can find their sample ballot at BeBallotReady.Vote.

Registered Democrats and Republicans will get their party's ballot when they go to the polls. Independent voters can cast ballots on Tuesday, but they will need to choose which party's ballot they want, or opt for one with only the non-partisan local races.

Arizona's Aug. 2 primary:Here's everything you need to know to vote in the election

No, you will not be assigned a polling site.

Maricopa County voters have options. The county switched from a precinct-based voting model to a voting center model in 2020, allowing voters to cast ballots at any polling site.

The county offered a limited number of vote centers in 2018 and completely switched away from assigned polling sites during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many traditional polling places such as schools and nursing homes weren't open to the public, according to Scott Jarrett, the county's elections director.

The county received positive feedback from poll workers and voters, he said, so the model will remain in place for this year.

"It was just so successful," Jarrett said. "The vast majority of all voters very much appreciate just going to any location."

The complete list of more than 200 voting centers and drop-box locations is on the county elections website.

Yes, you must show identification at the polls, unless you are simply dropping off a mail-in ballot in a signed affidavit envelope.

Every voter is required to show proof of identity when voting in person. Acceptable forms of ID include a valid Arizona driver's license, tribal enrollment card or other government-issued identification.

Voters also may show two forms of non-photo identification bearing their name and address.

If you are just dropping off a mail-in ballot, you can skip the line and go straight to the drop box when you arrive at the voting center.

Yes, you should vote using the pens provided by poll workers.

Elections staff provide felt-tip markers for voters to use at the polls because they dry quickly. Officials say that's important because ballots cast in person on Election Day do not have a lot of time to dry before they are placed into tabulation machines.

If you use a different type of pen at the polls, the ink may smear when your ballot is placed into the tabulator. That could smudge ovals that you didn't intend to mark, and may gunk up the tabulator. When that happens, poll workers have to clean the machine, which officials say could create long lines at polling sites.

During the 2020 election, a baseless allegation that ballots cast by voters using government-issued Sharpies would be disqualified caught traction online. The claim has been repeatedly debunked by elections officials.

Officials say even if your marker bleeds through your ballot, ovals are offset so that it won't impact your vote.

If the polls close while you are still in line to vote, don't leave. As long as you are in line at 7 p.m., you have a right to cast your ballot.

If you run into any issues at the polls, you can get help by calling the Maricopa County Elections Department at 602-506-1511 or the Arizona Secretary of State's Office at 877-THE-VOTE.

Reach reporter Sasha Hupka at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka.

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