Early in-person voting begins in Arizona, drawing visits from the presidential campaigns

PHOENIX (AP) — Early in-person voting begins Wednesday in Arizona, making it the first of this year’s presidential battleground states where all residents can cast a ballot at a traditional polling place ahead of Election Day.

The start of in-person voting in the closely contested state also is drawing the presidential tickets, with both campaigns scheduling visits there this week.

Wednesday’s voting overlaps with campaign stops by both vice presidential nominees — Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a Republican — who will hold separate events in Tucson on Wednesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, is scheduled to host a rally in Phoenix on Thursday, while former President Donald Trump will hold one Sunday in Prescott Valley, a Republican stronghold about 90 miles (144 kilometers) north of Phoenix.

President Joe Biden defeated Trump by just 10,457 votes in 2020, a narrow margin that set off years of misinformation and conspiracy theories among Republicans who refused to acknowledge Biden’s win. It also has led to threats and harassment of election workers, prompting some election offices to boost security for their workers and polling place volunteers.

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