2024 holds significant importance for voters around the country, and especially for our Native vote in the Gila River Indian Community. The upcoming Primary and General Elections will decide the next Presidential term, and it's crucial that every voice is heard. Let's all come together and make sure our voices count—Sko Vote Gila River!
Explore this page for voting resources to ensure you're prepared for the upcoming elections.
Upcoming 2024 Election Dates:
General Election: November 5, 2024
Voter Registration Deadline: October 7, 2024
Early Voting Begins: October 9, 2024
Mail-In Ballot Request Deadline: October 25, 2024
What to know before you vote
Review the following requirements and forms of identification to ensure you’re prepared to vote in the upcoming elections.
Arizona Voter Registration Requirements:
You must be registered 29 days prior to an election to be eligible to vote on that election.
State law requires Arizona residents to meet the following criteria to register:
- Citizen of the United States
- 18-years old on or before the date of the next general election
- Resident of Arizona and the county listed on your registration
- Not convicted of a felony or treason, unless civil rights have been restored
Single Felony Conviction – If a person has been only convicted of a single felony offense, the right to vote is automatically restored as soon as the court-imposed sentence has been completed.
Two or more Felony Convictions – If the person was convicted of two or more felony offenses, the individual must petition the court that sentenced them for restoration of their civil rights, including the right to vote.
Persons sentenced with lifetime probation are not eligible for rights restoration under statute.
Forms of Identification
As of 2019, Arizona voters are now required to bring identification to vote in person at an early voting location. Names and addresses on IDs must “reasonably match”. For non-traditional addresses, an exact match is not required. The only form of ID you need to vote by mail is your signature. An identification is “valid” unless it can be determined on its face that it has expired.
List #1 (One Required)
To use just one ID at the polls, voters need a valid government issued ID that includes their name, photo, and the address where they are registered to vote.
- Valid Arizona Driver License
- Valid Arizona ID card
- Tribal Enrollment Card or Other Form of Tribal Identification
- Valid U.S. Federal, State, or Local Government-Issued ID
List #2 (Two Required) check
Must have the voter’s name and address. Voters without a List #1 photo ID may choose two options from List #2.
- Utility Bill – Must be dated within 90 days of the election. A utility bill may be for electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, cellular phone, or cable television
- Bank or Credit Union Statement - Must be dated within 90 days of the election
- Valid Arizona Vehicle Registration
- Recorder’s Certificate
- Mail marked “Official Election Material”
- Valid Arizona Vehicle Insurance Card
- Valid Government ID – U.S. federal, state, or local government-issued identification without a photo, including a voter registration card issued by the County Recorder.
- Property Tax Statement
- Tribal Identification – Includes Indian census cards, tribal enrollment cards, or other form of tribal identification without the voter’s photos
List #3 (Combination of Identification)
- Valid Picture ID (List #1) & Valid Address (List #2)
- U.S. Passport & One Valid Item From List #2
- U.S. Military ID & One Valid Item From List #2
Gila River Indian Community Precincts
What is a voting precinct?
A precinct is a smaller area within an electoral district where all voters go to one polling place to cast their vote. Gila River has the following precincts:
Maricopa County:
Pee-Posh – 629
Komatke – 425
Pinal County:
Sacaton – 29
Blackwater – 60
San Tan – 61
Casa Blanca – 62
Ballot Measure
What is a ballot measure?
A ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.
REFERRALS: Ballot measures referred by the state legislature
The State Legislature Has Referred Eleven Measures to the Ballot:
Emergency Declarations Amendment
The amendment would allow the state Legislature to terminate a "state of emergency" declared by a sitting governor and for such state of emergency declarations to expire automatically after 30 days unless extended by the Legislature (unless in the case of a state of war or a natural disaster such as a flood or wildfire).
- YES: would allow the state legislature to terminate a “state of emergency” declared by a sitting governor, and for such state of emergency declarations to expire automatically after 30 days unless extended by the Legislature (unless in the case of a state of war or a natural disaster such as a flood or wildfire).
- NO: the Governor may declare a state of emergency if the Governor finds that there exists conditions of disaster or extreme peril to the safety of persons or property within the state caused by air pollution, fire, flood, epidemic, riot, earthquake or other causes that are likely to be beyond the control of any single county or municipality (A.R.S. § 26-301).
Financial Benefit upon Death of First Responder Measure
The measure would levy a $20 fee on each conviction for a criminal offense in the state to pay for a $250,000 financial benefit to the spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty.
- YES: would charge an additional $20 fee on each conviction for a criminal offense in the state to pay for a $250,000 financial benefit to the spouses of first responders who are killed in the line of duty.
- NO: Would not charge an additional $20 fee on criminal offenses to pay for a $250,000 financial benefit to the spouses of first responders who are killed in the line of duty.
Require Partisan Primaries Amendment
The amendment would mandate partisan primaries for partisan elected offices in the state and prohibit other types of primary election (such as ranked choice voting). The amendment also includes language which preempts localities and other smaller jurisdictions from contradicting the amendment.
- YES: would mandate partisan primaries for partisan elected offices in the state and prohibit other types of primary elections (such as ranked choice voting). The amendment also includes language which preempts localities and other smaller jurisdictions from contradicting the amendment.
- NO: Arizona will primary elections will not require partisan primaries for partisan offices, and will not prohibit other types of primary elections (such as ranked choice voting).
Signature Distribution Requirement for Initiatives Amendment
The amendment would require signatures from 10% of each of Arizona's legislative districts' voting populations for an initiative to qualify for the ballot (the threshold is 15% for proposed constitutional amendments).
- YES: would require signatures from 10% of each of Arizona’s legislative districts’ voting populations in order for an initiative to qualify for the ballot (the threshold is 15% for proposed constitutional amendments).
- NO: ballot initiatives only need 10% of Arizona registered voters for any measure and 15% of Arizona registered voters for constitutional amendments. Arizona Constitution would not include signature requirements per Arizona legislative district.
Property Tax Refund; Nuisance Enforcement
Allows a property owner to apply for a primary property tax refund if the owner documents expenses caused by a city, town, or county adopting a policy, pattern, or practice that declines to enforce existing laws or the maintaining of a public nuisance.
- YES: allows a property owner to apply for a tax refund if the owner documents expenses caused by a city, town or county adopting a policy, pattern or practice which declines to enforce existing laws or the maintaining of a public nuisance.
- NO: if a city, town, or county does not enforce laws against public nuisance, property owners will cannot apply for a tax refund if they document expenses due to damages caused by illegal camping, loitering, panhandling, or use of illegal substances.
Sex Trafficking; Child: Natural Life:
Requires a person who is convicted of a class 2 felony for any child sex trafficking offense to be sentenced to natural life imprisonment without eligibility for any form of release.
Border; Benefits; Fentanyl; Illegal Entry:
- Establishes a new state misdemeanor and felony crimes associated with international border crossings, not at official ports of entry.
- This part of the act is contingent on the Texas law or any similar law in another state becoming enforceable.
- Permits a judge to issue an Order for Return for individuals in Arizona without lawful presence
- It makes it a felony for any persons not lawfully present in the United States to submit false documents to qualify for public benefits.
- It makes it a crime for persons not lawfully present in the United States to submit false documents to an employer to evade detection of employment eligibility under the E-Verify program.
- Establishes a felony charge and enhanced sentencing requirements for the sale of fentanyl if the fentanyl causes the death of another person.
- Allows legislative leaders to intervene in any lawsuit, but only to defend the act.
Judicial Retention Elections:
Allows Supreme Court, Appellate Court, and Superior Court justices and judges to hold office indefinitely during "good behavior." This specifies that a justice or judge's good behavior is exclusively determined through the Arizona Constitution's Articles on the Judicial Department, the Commission on Judicial Conduct (Commission), and the removal from office. A justice or judge is subject to a vote of retention: a) upon final conviction of a felony offense; b) upon final conviction of a crime involving fraud or dishonesty; c) upon the initiation of personal bankruptcy proceedings in which the justice or judge is a debtor; d) the foreclosure of any mortgage for which the justice or judge is a mortgagor; and e) a determination by the body responsible for evaluating judicial performance that the judge or justice does not meet judicial performance standards. Allows any legislator to request the Commission investigate a justice or judge.
Ballot Measures; Challenges:
Authorizes a person to bring an action in superior court to contest the constitutionality of a proposed measure or amendment to the constitution because the measure or amendment would violate the United States Constitution or the Arizona Constitution. Instructs the courts to advance, hear, and decide on any action contesting the constitutionality of a proposed measure or amendment that is brought at least 90 days before the election at which the measure or amendment will be voted on. Allows any party to appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court within five calendar days after the superior court enters its judgment.
Tipped Wages; Workers:
Authorizes an employer to pay a tipped employee a wage of up to 25 percent per hour less than the statutory minimum wage if the employer can establish that for each week when adding tips or gratuities received to wages paid, the employee received not less than the minimum wage plus $2 for all hours worked, as evidenced by either: a) the employer's records of charged tips or gratuities; or b) the tipped employee's declaration for Federal Insurance Contributions Act purposes. Specifies that compliance with the required tipped employee wage is determined by averaging tips or gratuities received by the tipped employee over the course of the employer's payroll period or any other period selected by the employer that complies with laws enacted by the Legislature.
Rulemaking; legislative ratification; regulatory costs:
Directs any state agency proposing a rule that would increase regulatory costs by $100,000 within five years after implementation to submit for review to the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). If the OEO concludes the cost would be more than $500,000 within five years, the rule is submitted to the legislature and cannot be implemented unless the legislature ratifies it.
INITATIVES: Ballot measures petitioned by Arizona registered voters
The Following Citizen’s Initiatives will be on the Ballot:
Arizona Abortion Access (I-05-2024):
A constitutional change that establishes a fundamental right to abortion and prohibits the state from denying, restricting, or interfering with that right before fetal viability. It would also prohibit the state from denying, restricting, or interfering with that right after fetal viability if necessary to protect the physical or mental health of the mother.
- YES: A constitutional change that establishes a fundamental right to abortion and prohibits the state from denying, restricting, or interfering with that right before fetal viability. It would also prohibit the state from denying, restricting, or interfering with that right after fetal viability if necessary to protect the physical or mental health of the mother.
- NO: abortion procedures banned after 15 weeks.
Make Elections Fair Arizona (I-14-2024):
A constitutional amendment that expands choices in primaries eliminates party-based restrictions on election participation and applies the same rules to candidates for the same office. It prohibits using public monies for party elections, including presidential preference elections, which are not open to all voters. For primaries for state, county, and Congressional offices, candidates for the same office have the same signature requirements and appear on the same ballot. Everyone eligible to vote for an office may vote for any candidate and sign any candidate petition regardless of party affiliation. The law may allow candidates to list party affiliation, as provided in the amendment. For 1-winner races, 2 to 5 candidates may advance to the general, as provided by law. For multi-winner races, additional candidates advance. If three or more candidates may advance in 1-winner races, voter rankings are used at the general. If implementing legislation isn't operative by November 1, 2025, the Secretary of State decides how many candidates advance and the voter ranking process, if any, subject to legislative modification as provided in the amendment. Legislature may change the number of candidates for an office who advance once every six years.
- YES: A constitutional amendment that expands choices in primaries, eliminates party-based restrictions on election participation, and applies the same rules to candidates for the same office. It prohibits using public monies for party elections, including presidential preference elections not open to all voters.
- NO: Arizona elections maintain partisan Presidential Preference and Primary elections.
Contact Information
Communications & Public Affairs Office
(520) 562-9715
Tribal Elections Office
(520) 562-9758
Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Hotline
If you feel intimidated or harassed, either inside or outside a polling site, please call the Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Hotline at 1 (888) 777-3831.