Young voters turned out in full force in the 2020 election, with half of eligible voters ages 18 to 29 casting a ballot in the presidential race.

An estimated 50% of people ages 18 through 29 voted in the 2020 election, an 11 point increase from 2016, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

The demographic is also expected to play a pivotal role in this year’s Election Day, and with a record number of first- and second-time voters expected to cast a ballot in the presidential race, it’s important that they’re well-prepared.

But many people, including young voters, have questions, as indicated by the 20-item Frequently Asked Question list on the Pima County Recorder’s website.

That’s a long list, so we’ve broken down the top 10 questions that we’ve heard most frequently asked. You can find the rest of them here.

What if you make a mistake on your ballot?

The recorder’s office says that it’s ok to cross out the incorrect vote and then select the candidate or answer of your choice.

What if you sign the wrong affidavit?

Many households get multiple ballots, and with the exception of the voter’s name, they all look the same. If you sign an affidavit belonging to someone else who lives at your address, you can simply have them sign your affidavit, according to the recorder’s office.

You can also add a note to each affidavit that says “household mix-up,” and the recorder’s office will be able to match the signatures at the time of processing.

What if you leave the date off the affidavit?

No problem. As long as your ballot is received by 7 p.m. on Election Day, the date doesn’t matter.

Do you need the yellow envelope to drop off your ballot?

No. The yellow envelope is meant for mailing in your Early Ballot and you don’t need it if you take it to a drop-off location. You only need the ballot in the affidavit envelope.

Who can drop off your ballot?

Only household members, family or caregivers are allowed to drop off ballots for a person other than themselves.

What if you didn’t get an affidavit or if you need a new ballot?

To ensure the security of mailed ballots, you must sign an affidavit promising that it’s your ballot and that you were the one who voted. If you didn’t get the affidavit envelope, you can take your ballot to an Early Voting or Ballot Replacement site and get a new envelope. Remember to bring identification, because the envelope must be matched to your voter record. Find a list of acceptable forms of ID here.

Replacement ballots are available at any Ballot Replacement Site or Vote Center with proper identification. You can also just vote on Election Day and you’ll be given a ballot on-site. If you choose to vote at a Vote Center, the office asks that you destroy your mail-in ballot when you’re done.

If your ballot was damaged, you can call the recorder’s office at 520-724-4330 or request a new ballot here.

What if you can’t remember if you’ve already voted?

Don’t request another ballot or try to vote again. It’s illegal to vote more than once in an election. You can check your status here or by calling 520-724-4330.

How to vote for a write-in candidate:

Just write the candidate’s name in the space provided and fill in the oval in front of the name. You can find a list of write-in candidates here or by calling 520-724-6830.

What is a provisional ballot and why have you been given one?

If a person’s name doesn’t appear on the voter registration list at a Vote Center or Early Voting site, but they believe they’re registered to vote, they’ll be offered a provisional ballot.

Provisional ballots allow the recorder’s office to further investigate a voter’s eligibility without delaying the person at the site, and most provisional ballots do count. Provisional ballots are the same and the most common reason a person will be given one is if there's a change in their voter record close to registration deadlines.

If you use a provisional ballot to vote on Election Day at a Vote Center, you’ll be given a receipt with a number that you can use to check the ballot’s status. Updates will be available after the deadline to process provisional ballots.

If you use a provisional ballot at an Early Voting site, you can check its status here. If its status doesn’t change, the recorder’s office found that for some reason, you weren’t eligible to vote. You can find the status or ask about a disqualification by calling 520-724-4330.

What to do if you get a notification that your signature can’t be verified:

The recorder’s office will send a text or email, if they have contact information on file, asking you to call 520-724-4330 to verify that you voted and signed your affidavit.

This is a process called ballot resolution, during which voters may receive calls, texts and emails about any issues with their affidavit envelope, including their signature. For a ballot to count, the office must have a verified signature that matches up with the signature on a person's official voter registration record.

If the signatures can’t be verified, you’ll be contacted via phone call, text, email or mailed letter, or staff will try to reach out through other household members. In some cases, they may send a new mail-in ballot and a new voter registration form so you can update your signature.

Caitlin Schmidt is Editor and Publisher of Tucson Spotlight. She previously worked for the Arizona Daily Star and has been reporting on Southern Arizona for a decade. Contact her at caitlin@tucsonspotlight.org.