An illustrated guide (of sorts) to the voting systems of three crucial states

Entering the voter lists

Arizona needs your name, address, date of birth, signature and driver’s license number if you have one, or the last four digits of your social security number if you don’t. Without these, you’ll need to show multiple IDs to vote.

You will have to swear, under penalty of perjury, that you are also a citizen eligible to vote.

Arizona also requires those wishing to vote in state elections to provide documentary proof of citizenship. That means a passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate or something similar.

Election officials then cross-check your information with state Department of Transportation or Social Security Administration data to verify your identity. They will send non-forwardable emails to your address to also verify that it is correct. If their email bounces, you will need to update your address before you can vote.

Stay on the roll

Election officials use government databases and the ERIC interstate database to look for voters who have died or moved; they also look at jury duty data to look for voters who say they’ve moved or, rarely, say they’re not a citizen.

voting

If you wish to vote by post, you will need to request a ballot paper by completing a form with your signature, which will be verified with your date of birth. You can also apply to vote by mail, and election officials will ask you questions to verify your identity.

Your mail-in ballot will be verified by making sure the signature on the ballot matches the signature on file.

If you want to vote in person, you can vote early or on Election Day. Either way, you’ll need to show your ID at the polling station. This is usually a driver’s license, but you can bring other identification documents – such as a car registration and utility bill – to prove your identity and residence.

Ballots are then tabulated – either on-site or at a county elections office – and uploaded to the state through a secure system.

Number verification

After the election, the machines are again tested for accuracy and a statistically significant portion of the ballots are counted by hand.