FAQs

• Incapacitated reports from the courts are provided to the Secretary of State monthly which are matched with the voter rolls.
• Felony reports from the courts are provided to the Secretary of State monthly which are matched with the voter rolls.
• Death reports are provided from the Department of Health Services to the Secretary of State monthly that are matched with the voter rolls. Individuals can provide an affidavit of death or death certificate.
• Arizona is a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) who provides cross-state matches, in-state matches and death reports.
• Daily cross-state mover information from the Secretary of State for those States who are not a member of ERIC.
• National Change of Address (NCOA) provides notice from the USPS of permanent address changes.
• All undeliverable mail is processed in accordance with the following:
  • National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA)
  • Arizona Revised Statutes §16-166(A)
• Official Election Mail is not forwardable. When Voter Registration receives a piece of undeliverable mail, we will send an additional notice to the voter by forwardable mail requesting they update their residential address.
• The voter has 35 days to respond to the notice, if no response, their voter account is moved to an inactive status.
• Voters in an inactive status are still registered to vote but, to cast a ballot they must first update their residential address.
• If the voter stays in an inactive status through two Federal Election cycles, their account is moved to canceled.
• Each address is verified using our GIS addressing system, verifying the address is zoned residential.
• It is common for voters of different last names to reside at the same address.
• When official election mail is received at a household where the addressee no longer resides, the mail should be returned to the USPS. Not all voters alert us or the USPS of an address change.
• Voters voluntarily remove themselves or make changes to their account.

Yavapai County began their business relationship with Runbeck Election Services, Inc. in the 1970's.

The elected Recorder and election administrators are obligated to follow all state and federal election laws and procedures, while continuing to be cognizant of productivity, efficiency, and fiscal responsibilities to ensure ethical, accurate, and transparent elections. | Arizona Revised Statute Title 16 | Arizona Elections Procedures Manual

The contract with Runbeck Election Services, Inc., for printing and mailing ballots, was presented, and approved in a public meeting of the Board of Supervisors. The meeting was held at 9:00am on May 19, 2021 at the Yavapai County Administration Building, 10 S. 6th St., Cottonwood, AZ. The agenda item was in the consent section, item number 31, and was approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors.

Yavapai County Recorder
Voter Registration Department
1015 Fair St, Room 228
Prescott, AZ 86305-9071

All voted ballots are returned to the address above including those deposited into an official ballot drop box. All signatures are verified by the Voter Registration Department.

Drop boxes are installed in high traffic areas, common locations known to the public such as city and town halls, fire stations, and county administration offices, libraries, court buildings and post offices. All boxes are drive-up accessible, are bolted to asphalt or concrete, and have security camera surveillance. They are all equipped with a fire suppression device, are double locked, and keyed differently. The chain of custody begins with an assignment for pick-up by a bipartisan team of two county employees, with county identification, and in a county vehicle. The ballots are retrieved and secured in transport containers that are sealed. The ballot pick-up teams return the sealed containers to the Recorder’s office where they are counted, logged, batched, and signature verified. Scheduled routes, days and times are not released as an additional security measure.

Voter Registration receives a paper form or electronic registration through MVD. All information is vetted through MVD, Social Security Administration, GIS addressing system and Department of Homeland Security (for naturalized citizens). Further detail located at: Elections Procedures Manual

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) is a non-profit organization with the sole mission of assisting states to improve the accuracy of America’s voter rolls and increase access to voter registration for all eligible citizens. ERIC is governed and managed by a board of directors made up of member-states and was formed in 2012 with assistance from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Which States Are Members Of ERIC?
As of October 2021 Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and The District of Columbia (31 states plus D.C.)

Who Controls ERIC?
The states. The chief elections official from each member state designates a Member Representative to the ERIC Board of Directors. Each state's Member Representative serves as a voting member of the board.

What does Yavapai County do with the information received from ERIC?
The information comes through the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. Once we receive reports for potential cross state movers, death records and double voters from the SOS, we compare and vet them against our rolls. No outside entity has access to manipulate our voter rolls. We work on our voter rolls every day as they change by the minute. Yavapai County processes an average of 300 moves per week, plus death records, felonies, and incapacitated judgements. All of this is performed under the requirements of state and federal laws. Arizona uses ERIC as an additional tool as we do not have access to out of state records.

What Reports does Yavapai County Receive From ERIC?
Each member state receives reports that show voters who have moved within their state, voters who have moved out of state, deceased voters, and duplicate registrations within the same state. States may also request a report identifying voters who appear to have voted twice within the state in the prior federal election, voted in more than one state in the prior federal election, or who voted on behalf of a deceased voter in the prior federal election.

Who can I contact if I have more questions about the ERIC Program?

Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave NW Ste 600, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-695-3464
Fax: 866-200-2651
General Information: info@ericstates.org

Colleen Conner, Arizona Secretary of State Office
Director, Arizona Elections Division
Phone: 602-542-8683
Toll-free in Arizona: 1-877-THE VOTE

The Recorder’s office securely provides an electronic list of eligible voters to Runbeck Election Services. This list contains voter’s names, addresses, voter id numbers, and the ballot precinct information to ensure the correct ballot style is given to those who have requested a ballot by mail. In the case of a jurisdictional election, all eligible voters will receive a ballot by mail.

Runbeck Election Services has been contracted to print, assemble, and mail the ballot packages for all Yavapai County elections. The ballot package consists of the outer carrier envelope, the pink affidavit envelope, the instruction sheet, and the ballot. The Yavapai County community population has increased along with the popularity of the Active Early Voting List (AEVL). Approximately eighty percent (80%) of voters in Yavapai County receive a ballot by mail. The number of staff, hours, equipment, space, and volume of materials necessary to prepare vote-by-mail packages has outgrown the capacity of the county’s resources.

In 1991 Arizona approved a law permitting no-excuse absentee voting and, also, enacted House Bill 2392 which permitted special taxing districts to conduct elections exclusively by mail. Districts would then get approval of the board of supervisors in their counties. On October 3, 2005, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors approved contractual jurisdictional election services for vote-by-mail only unless specifically required by state statute. The Board minutes for this meeting can be found here: BOS Vote-by-Mail approval 10-3-2005(PDF, 61KB)

The PINK ballot affidavit envelope and our ballot return envelope were combined into one. Eliminating an envelope will result in a more efficient and streamlined process, tax dollars savings, while maintaining the security of the voter’s signature. This method will be used for all future elections.

Yes, every verified early ballot is counted.

Yes, every verified provisional ballot is counted.

Yavapai County accepts Campaign Finance Reports by email, mail or in-person. If you mail your report, we recommend allowing enough delivery time that it arrives before the filing deadline.  The fillable report can be found here.

Electronic reports can be sent by email to elections@yavapaiaz.gov.

For more information about filing campaign finance reports, please refer to A.R.S. §§ 16-926 and 16-927.

Yes. Please make sure that all paperwork has original signatures.

Yes. Yavapai County accepts committee formation paperwork by email, mail, or in-person. When filing on printed paper, all forms must have original signatures. Forms filed electronically by email must have a valid digital signature.

The Elections Department does not provide technical support for digital signatures. For information about signing a PDF using Adobe Reader, please visit https://helpx.adobe.com/reader/using/sign-pdfs.html. For other software, please consult the user documentation.

No, Yavapai County Elections is located at 1015 Fair Street, Rm 228 in Prescott and does not have an office in Cottonwood.

To remove your name from public record, please see the Arizona State Statutes which provide the specific details on who is eligible and what requirements have to be met. There are separate statutes for different public records: Recorder (A.R.S. § 11-483 ), the Assessor and Treasurer (A.R.S. § 11-484) and Voter Registration (A.R.S. § 16-153 ). Please review each statute for details. Here is a link to the home page of the Arizona State Statutes.

If you filed a Statement of Organization, you are required to file Campaign Finance Reports. The reporting dates are listed on the front page of the Campaign Finance Report form. You need to file a separate report for each Statement of Organization you filed.

If you were not required to form a committee using a Statement of Organization, you must still keep track of all contributions and expenses. If the aggregate total of receipts and disbursements exceeds $1,400, you must file a Statement of Organization within 10 days. [A.R.S. § 16-906]  The forms can be found here.

No. The Statement of Organization asks for the name of the bank you plan to use. You can submit an Amended Statement of Organization if you end up using a different bank.

Yes. Even if you are not required to file a Statement of Organization, you are required to keep track of all income (contributions, interest, etc.) and expenditures (payments, fees, etc.) for your committee.

See Do I have to file Campaign Finance Reports? above.

To challenge a candidate, you must file a challenge petition in court no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 10th business day after the candidate Nomination Petition submission deadline. The challenge petition must specifically list the reasons for the challenge. If signatures on a candidate’s Nomination Petitions are being challenged, the challenge must specifically identify the Nomination Petition page and line number for each signature being challenged, and the reasons why the signatures are being challenged. For more information see A.R.S. §16-351 and A.R.S. §16-351.01.

Any candidate in any election can be challenged by any registered voter.

To close a committee, you need to file a Termination Statement [A.R.S. § 16-934] along with a final Campaign Finance Report containing a zero balance. Please see A.R.S. § 16-933 for the statutory regulations for disposing of surplus funds and/or transferring committee debts.  You can find those forms here.

The purpose of the petition is to tell people who you are and what you are running for. Read the petition language carefully, and fill in the information requested in the blanks provided. Make sure the top portion of the petition is filled out with the correct election date, name of the district and office you are running for.

While we want to make sure you are as informed as possible, we cannot tell you how to fill out your paperwork. If you need help, you can consult your county political party office, or seek advice from an attorney.

How:

• Complete a voter registration form and answer all questions
• Sign and date the voter registration form
• If using the Arizona State registration form, remove the back sheet (save as your receipt)
• Mail or drop off registration forms at our offices in Prescott or Cottonwood

Where:

• Yavapai County Recorder’s Office, both in Cottonwood and Prescott
• City or Town Clerk’s offices
• Libraries throughout Yavapai County
• Department of Motor Vehicles
• United States Post Offices throughout Yavapai County
• Visit the Register to Vote page on this website or www.servicearizona.com and choose the Voter Registration icon

Write-in candidates are not required to gather signatures to qualify for the ballot. However, Write-in candidates are still required to form a committee (if applicable), file a nomination paper and a Financial Disclosure Statement (if applicable). Only candidates who file before the deadline will be considered “official write-in candidates.” Only official write-in candidates will have their names posted in the Vote Centers and have any votes cast for them counted. A list of write-in candidates is not sent with the early or vote by mail ballots and it is up to the candidates to advertise their candidacy.

Write-In Candidate Filing Deadlines

• County office – 40 days prior to the election.
• Special District board or Precinct Committeemen – 76 days prior to the election.

“Independent” describes any candidate that is not registered to vote with one of the major (recognized) political parties.  Download an Independent Candidate Packet here, and after filling out the form, choose the link for “Non-Recognized Party Candidates (All other parties).”

Independent candidates do not run in the Primary Election, but will instead appear on the General Election ballot. However, the filing deadline for Nomination Papers and Petitions is the same as the candidates who are running in the Primary. The procedures for running as an independent candidate are the same as those for candidates registered with a political party, except that independent candidates file slightly different petitions and nomination paperwork. 

Sign your affidavit envelope before sealing. Without your signature your vote will not be counted.

• Ballots may be mailed or dropped off at early voting sites or drop box locations (listed below).
• Ballots may be dropped off at any Yavapai County Vote Center on Election Day.
• Ballots must be received by 7:00 PM on Election Day; postmarks do not apply.

For more information, you may contact Voter Registration.

Early voting drop off mailbox locations are as follows:

• Bagdad – Bagdad Justice Court, 100 Main St
• Black Canyon City – Black Canyon City Library, 34701 S Old Black Canyon Hwy
• Camp Verde – Town Hall, 473 S Main St
• Camp Verde – Yavapai-Apache Nation Community Center, 3462 Smith Ave
• Chino Valley – Town Hall, 202 N State Route 89
• Clarkdale – Town Hall, 39 N 9th St.
• Congress – Congress Library, 26750 Santa Fe Rd
• Cottonwood – County Administration Building, 10 S 6th St
• Dewey-Humboldt – Town Hall, 2735 S Highway 69
• Jerome – Town Hall, 600 Clark St
• Paulden – Public Library, 16 Big Chino Rd
• Prescott – County Administration Building, 1015 Fair St
• Prescott Valley – Town Hall, 7501 Skoog Blvd
• Sedona – City Hall, 102 Roadrunner Dr
• Sedona – Village of Oak Creek Fire Station, 125 Slide Rock Rd
• Seligman – Seligman Library, 54170 N Floyd St
• Skull Valley – U.S. Post Office, 3085 S Iron Springs Rd
• Spring Valley – Public Library, 17320 E Mule Deer Dr
• Yarnell – Yarnell Justice Court, 22591 S Looka Way

• To request a ballot by mail, call our office at 928-771-3248 ext. 9, email us at voter.registration@yavapaiaz.gov or through the Arizona Voter Information Portal no sooner than 93 days or no later than 11 days prior to an election.
• If you will be out of town through the early voting period you may request that an early ballot be mailed to the address where you will be staying. Visit the Arizona Voter Information Portal to make a request.
• You may vote in person from 27 days prior to the election up to 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election at the Yavapai County Recorder's Office office at 1015 Fair St, Room 228, Prescott or 10 S. 6th St., Cottonwood. For Vote by Mail elections, in person voting is available until 7:00PM on Election Day.

The number of nominating signatures you must get varies by position and party. Signature requirements are based on the voter registration totals reported on January 2nd of the election year. Before January 2nd, only “Unofficial” signature requirements are available.  See the appropriate candidate packets here for the signature requirement sheets.

Current campaign contribution limits are available on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website. There are no limits to how much a candidate can contribute to their own campaign.

75-Foot Limit – This is a boundary around the vote center that has the purpose of insulating voters from campaigning while they are trying to vote.

Not allowed inside 75-Foot Limit:

• Electioneering (any verbal communication of support or opposition, whether for a candidate, a political party that has candidates on the ballot, or a question on the ballot)
• Photographers & Media
• Anyone loitering
• Candidates and political action committees cannot have tables, people campaigning, etc., inside the 75-foot limit.

Allowed inside 75-Foot Limit:

• Voters can take written materials (sample ballots, pamphlets, etc.) into the vote center with them.
• Voters can have children or another person there to assist them – except, candidates that are on the ballot are not allowed to assist voters.
• Normal business activities

Except in the case of an emergency, any facility that is used as a Vote Center on Election Day is required to allow electioneering and other political activity outside of the 75-foot limit, in public areas and parking lots used by voters.

Not allowed on vote center property:

• Temporary or permanent structures (canopies, tents, etc.) in public areas and parking lots
• Blocking or restricting access to walkways or parking spaces for voters. Keep traffic and walkways clear – Any areas used and traveled by voters (sidewalks, parking lots, etc.) should not be blocked in any way (even partially) with your signs, vehicles, tables, chairs, or supporters.
• Sign placement and tampering – Do not place signs at the Vote Center without first checking with the property owner or manager. Some Vote Center facilities have designated specific areas they have approved for sign placement. Unauthorized signs on private property may be removed. State and many local laws also govern placement of signs on public and private property, as well as removal, alteration or defacing political signs. The Posting of Candidate Signs(PDF, 441KB) can give you some guidelines, but it is your responsibility to make sure you are following the most current laws in each area you are posting signs.

PLEASE BE AWARE: The County does not generally lease the entire facility for voting purposes, and most Vote Center locations have normal business activities occurring on Election Day. An increasing number of Vote Center property owners have expressed concern with Election Day mistreatment of their property, unauthorized borrowing of furniture or use of resources, interference with their customers or patrons, and concern with damage resulting from signs on the premises. Vote Center property owners are required to allow electioneering, but they are not required to be a Vote Center. We recommend that you seek permission from the property owner or manager of any Vote Center that you want to campaign at on Election Day.

Nomination Petitions are available for public inspection and purchase from the Elections Department. To check the signatures on candidate petitions against the Voter Registration records, you must:

1. Submit a Public Data Request Form with the Elections office.
2. Purchase copies of the desired candidate’s petitions from our office at $0.25 per page.
3. Schedule an appointment with the Voter Registration Department for use of their public computer.

If you want to look at another candidate’s petitions and do not want copies, you can do so under direct supervision of Elections Department staff, but you cannot use this option if you want to check the signatures against the Voter Registration records.

1. First, find out who your filing office is and where they are located. Not all candidates file at the County Elections office. It depends on which elected position you’re interested in. See also: Where do I get my candidate paperwork and where do I file? (below)
2. Pull a candidate packet. The packet contains all the forms and information you need to run for office. See also: Where do I get my candidate paperwork and where do I file? (below)
3. Register your committee (if applicable) by filing a Statement of Organization. You can form a committee at any time. For more information see A.R.S. §16-905.
   If you spend or collect, in aggregate, more than $1,400, you must file a Statement of Organization. You are then required to file quarterly and pre-election Campaign Finance Reports through the election, and once more when the committee terminates. See also: Campaign Contributions and Campaign Finance Report Dates.
4. File a Statement of Interest - This form must be filed before you start circulating petitions.
5. Circulate your petitions and gather signatures. See also: Petitions.
6. File your paperwork with the appropriate filing office. See also: Where do I get my candidate paperwork and where do I file? (below)

No. You must be registered to vote with one of the political parties recognized in the State to be a Precinct Committeeman for that party. For a list of the current recognized parties, please see signature requirements sheet in the Precinct Committeeman Packet here.

Yes, you do not have to vote in every election to keep your registration active.

No. If you don’t “win” the Primary, or if you don’t get enough signatures to qualify for the Primary, you cannot run as a write-in or as an “Independent” candidate in the General Election.

For more information see A.R.S. §16-312 and A.R.S. §16-341

If your committee filed a Statement of Organization, your candidate committee remains open and “active” until you close it with a Termination Statement. When you terminate your committee, you must file a final Campaign Finance Report with a zero balance.  Those forms can be found here.

You will be asked to vote a conditional provisional ballot at the vote center if you fail to show acceptable ID. Your vote will be counted if you bring acceptable ID back to any vote center on Election Day or to the County Recorder’s Office (or designated sites) by:

• 5 Business days after the General Election
• 3 Business days after any other Election

You will be asked to vote a Provisional Ballot at a Vote Center if:

• Your name is not listed on the electronic poll book
• You have changed your name or address and have not re-registered twenty-nine (29) days prior to the election
• You voted the early ballot you received in the mail
• You voted early in person
• You are not a registered voter
• You are not registered in the district holding the election
• You are not registered with a participating party (Presidential Preference Election only)

There are procedures set forth by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) just for overseas and military voters. For more information on the FVAP you may contact our office or the FVAP online

• Sign up for the Active Early Voter List (AEVL) so all ballots will be mailed automatically.
• Request a mail ballot by contacting our office, either verbally or in writing, no sooner than 93 days or no later than 11 days prior to an election.
• Individuals who are unable to vote without assistance should contact our office for more details about special services that may be available from our Travel Board.

What does Arizona's Open Primary Law mean?

“At primary elections there shall be provided a separate ballot for each party entitled to participate in the primary.” (A.R.S. §16-467(A))

• Each “recognized” political party shall have a separate ballot for partisan primary elections.
• In Arizona, the recognized parties are DEMOCRAT, LIBERTARIAN and REPUBLICAN.
• If you are registered as one of the Recognized Parties, you shall receive your party’s ballot.
• Due to a ruling by the U.S. District Court, the Arizona Libertarian party is not included in Arizona open primary; the ruling specifically states, “The Defendant is permanently enjoined from requiring the Libertarian party to allow voters who are not registered as Libertarians from casting a ballot in any Libertarian primary.” ARIZONA LIBERTARIAN PARTY vs. BREWER, dated September 25, 2007. What this means, is that you may only vote a LIBERTARIAN ballot if you are registered as a LIBERTARIAN.
• If you are registered as INDEPENDENT, NON-PARTISAN or as a member of an unrecognized political party, you may choose ONE and only ONE, of the available recognized party ballots to vote.
• Once you have chosen a party ballot you cannot exchange it for another party ballot.

Active Early Voter List (AEVL) and the Primary Election

Ninety days (90) prior to the Primary Election letters will be sent to all voters on the AEVL with information regarding the Primary and General Elections. Voters who aren’t registered with a recognized party will receive a form which will allow them to select the party ballot they wish to vote. A ballot will not be mailed to unaffiliated voters until we receive a form indicating their ballot choice. You may also make your choice by contacting our office by phone, email or through our Early Ballot Request website.

If you have further questions on the open Primary please call our office (928) 771-3248.

If you did not have any income or expenditures, including fees or interest, you must still file page 1 of the Campaign Finance Report.

Most candidates can be a “committee of one,” and act as their own Chairman and Treasurer. However, if you are a candidate for judicial office, we recommend that you refer to the Arizona Code of Judicial Conduct for additional guidelines.

• Every qualified elector registered within the boundaries of the jurisdiction having the “Vote By Mail” election will automatically be mailed a ballot.
• There are no Vote Centers on Election Day.
• Your voted ballot must be received by the County Elections office or the jurisdiction no later than 7:00 pm on Election Day.
• Ballots may either be mailed or deposited at the drop boxes at the County Buildings in Prescott or Cottonwood or the drop box of the jurisdiction holding the election.
• Replacement ballots are available, starting 27 days prior to the election, at our offices in Prescott and / or Cottonwood depending on the jurisdictions holding the election.
• Contact Voter Registration if you have not received your ballot or you need a replacement ballot.
• The last day to request a replacement ballot to be mailed is 11 days prior to any election; though vote in-person replacement ballots are available until 7:00PM on Election Day.

To be eligible for an election you must be registered or have the changes submitted no later than twenty-nine days (29) prior to the election.

A Financial Disclosure Statement is a report of your personal finances, and is filed at the same time as your Nomination Paper and Petitions. Special District candidates do not have to file Financial Disclosure Statements. County Elected Officials also file an annual Financial Disclosure with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.

Campaign Finance Reports track all the money that a committee has collected and spent. Campaign Finance Reports are filed several times during the year, and cover specific periods of time. All committees who file a Statement of Organization, including Special District candidates, are responsible for filing Campaign Finance Reports. Campaign Finance Reports are required until you file a Termination Statement to close your committee.

NOTE: Precinct Committeemen do not form committees, file Financial Disclosure Statements or Campaign Finance Reports.

If you make a mistake on your early ballot, call our office for instructions:

• We may mail you a replacement ballot.
• You may bring your ballot in to a designated early voting site for replacement.
• You may go to a vote center on Election Day and vote.

• You must be registered to vote twenty-nine (29) days prior to an election to be eligible to vote.
• You do not have to re-register if there are no changes to your current registration (name, residential address, party affiliation).
• If you signed up for the Active Early Voter List or requested an early ballot, a ballot will be mailed to you.
• If you are not on the Active Early Voter List or have not requested an early ballot, a sample ballot will be sent to the address on your registration form.
• By law sample ballots will be sent 11 days prior to a federal, state or county primary or general vote center elections.
• The sample ballot will list the candidates and measures to be voted on at the election.

You can begin accepting or spending any money on your campaign, distributing any campaign literature or circulating petitions anytime. However, once the aggregate of contributions and expenses exceeds $1,400, you must file a Statement of Organization. See also I’ve decided to run for office, what do I need to know? (above)

More information – Chapter 6 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENSES

You can begin collecting nominating petition signatures at any time after filing your Statement of Interest.

See also: I’ve decided to run for office, what do I need to know?

Petitions are filed between 150 and 120 days before the election. Exact dates can be found on our website under Important Election Dates.

“Independent” candidates (not registered with one of the political parties recognized in Yavapai County) do not run in the Primary Election, but are still required to file their Nomination Paper and petitions at the same time as candidates who are running in the Primary.

PLEASE BE AWARE: The last week of the candidate filing period is busy for the filing office and for candidates. If you choose to file during that time period, please be prepared to wait in line.

• A voter must re-register if they change their name or residential address, or wish to change their party affiliation.
• You may contact our office by phone or email to change a mailing address or provide a temporary mailing address. A new registration form is required when you change your name, residential address or party affiliation.

When election material is returned as undeliverable by the Post Office, the following occurs:

• A follow-up notice is sent within three (3) weeks of the returned notice to the address that appears on the general register or to the forwarding address provided by the U.S. Postal Service and will include a registration form.
• If the county recorder does not receive a new registration form containing the new information within thirty-five (35) days following the second mailing, the name of the of the voter is transferred to an inactive list.

Arizona Revised Statutes require that registrations shall be cancelled for the following reasons:

• At the request of the person registered
• When the county recorder has been notified of the death of a person registered
• When the county recorder has received written notification that the person registered has been adjudicated an incapacitated person as defined in ARS §14-1501
• When the county recorder has been notified that the person registered has been convicted of a felony
• When the county recorder has been notified in writing that the person registered has moved from the county and registered outside Yavapai County
• When a person has been on the inactive voter list for four consecutive years OR through the date of the second general election for federal offices following the date of the notification from the County Recorder.

Once your registration form is accepted and processed, you will receive a voter ID card in approximately two to four weeks. If you lose or misplace your voter ID card, you can call Voter Registration for a replacement.

Rules on where you can post signs vary according to where the signs will be located. A quick reference guide(PDF, 441KB) to the local sign ordinances is included in the candidate packets, but it is your responsibility to make sure you are following the most current laws in each area you are posting signs.

Filing Offices:

• County office – receive and file paperwork with the County Elections Office in Prescott. County candidate packets are available beginning in June of the year preceding the election year. The County Candidate Packets are available online here.
• Special District boards – receive and file paperwork with the County Elections Office in Prescott. Special District candidate packets are available around 180 days prior to the district’s election. The Special District Candidate Packet is available here.
• Precinct Committeemen – receive and file paperwork with your County political party. Precinct Committeemen packets are available in mid-January of the election year. Precinct Committeemen packets are given to the County political party offices to distribute to interested candidates. The packet is available here.

• School Board– receive and file paperwork with the Yavapai County Education Service Agency (ESA) Office.
• State or Federal Office – receive and file paperwork with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.
• City or Town Council Seat – receive and file paperwork with that City or Town Clerk’s office. Click here for Government Related Links.

• A citizen of the United States – Citizenship Requirements
• A resident of Arizona
• A convicted felon whose rights have been restored
• A person who is 18 years of age or older by the next General Election

It is a class 6 felony to register if you do not meet the above qualifications.

Signatures must be obtained from qualified electors who are eligible to vote for the candidate whose nomination petition they are signing. If you are running for a County office, signers are registered in the district you are running for, registered with your same political party, or registered “independents.” If you are running for a Special District, anyone registered to vote in your district can sign your petitions.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are running for a Special District that crosses into another county, you can collect signatures from voters in the other county, but you will want separate petition pages for each County.

The Elections office provides candidates with guidelines on sign posting, but is not an enforcement agency. You can call the Public Works Department for whichever government area (e.g. State, County, City or Town) that the sign is in for more information on filing a complaint.