Maricopa County recorded its lowest primary election turnout in at least a decade, with only about one in four eligible voters casting ballots in Arizona’s July 21 primary.
Final unofficial results released by the county show 677,387 of 2,540,618 eligible voters participated, a turnout rate of 26.66%. Arizona’s Family reported the figure fell below the 27% recorded in 2016 and the 30% range seen in recent primaries. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to canvass the results Aug. 3.
Officials cited several possible factors. Arizona moved its primary from August to July, which observers said may have caught residents before they realized campaign season was underway. The ballot lacked an open U.S. Senate race, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs faced no primary opponent, and Republican Rep. Andy Biggs won his gubernatorial primary decisively. Statewide turnout finished just under 27%, the lowest for an Arizona primary in nearly 20 years.
Tom Collins, executive director of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, said participation among independent voters remains a concern. Collins said surveys show independents know they are eligible to participate but often do not. He suggested letting unaffiliated voters make a standing partisan-ballot selection without formally joining a party.
Low participation did not prevent county officials from praising election operations. Maricopa County said 99% of ballots were reported within 27 hours, using 236 vote centers and more than 2,900 Election Day workers.
Attention now turns to the Nov. 3 general election, when Arizona voters will choose a governor and, for the first time, a lieutenant governor. The question is whether July’s turnout was a scheduling anomaly or an early warning of weak enthusiasm.
