Benson, Arizona Public Records

Registration must be completed at least 29 days before an election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, Arizona residents, at least 18 years old by election day, and not currently serving a felony sentence. As an incorporated city, Benson holds municipal elections for Mayor and City Council positions. The City Council consists of six council members elected at-large, with the Mayor elected separately. Municipal elections in Arizona cities typically occur on a two-year cycle in odd-numbered years, 2025, 2027, and so on, with primary elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in August if needed, and general elections in November, though specific timing varies by city charter. The next municipal election is scheduled for 2025, with specific offices up for election determined by term expirations. Candidate information, local ballot measures, and sample ballots for city elections become available through Benson City Hall and the Cochise County Elections Department website closer to election dates. Residents can find their assigned polling place using the polling place locator at my.arizona.vote, operated by the Arizona Secretary of State, which requires entering name, date of birth, and county. Alternatively, they can contact the Cochise County elections office directly. Arizona public records law makes certain election records publicly accessible: voter registration lists with limited information excluding some personal data, campaign finance reports filed with the Arizona Secretary of State and local jurisdictions, candidate filing documents and financial disclosure statements, precinct-level election results, and ballot measures. These records can be searched through the Arizona Secretary of State website at azsos.gov and the Cochise County Elections Department. In the November 2024 presidential election, Cochise County reported approximately 63-65% voter turnout, with over 70,000 ballots cast from approximately 110,000 registered voters. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, voters in the city and county will decide important statewide races including the Arizona gubernatorial election - Governor Katie Hobbs' term expires in 2027 - all Arizona U.S. House seats including Congressional District 6 which includes the community, Arizona state legislature seats for both House and Senate districts, county offices including Cochise County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff, County Attorney, Recorder, Treasurer, and Assessor, and potentially local school board and special district positions. Arizona does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026 as Senator Mark Kelly's term expires in 2028 and Senator Ruben Gallego's term expires in 2030. Arizona offers several voting options: early voting by mail, with any registered voter able to request placement on the Permanent Early Voting List by contacting the County Recorder; in-person early voting at designated locations beginning 27 days before election day; and traditional polling place voting on election day. To request a one-time early ballot, voters can submit a request online through the Cochise County elections website, by phone, or in writing, with requests due by 5:00 PM on the Friday before election day for mail ballots, though in-person early voting continues through the day before election. Ballot tracking is available through BallotTrax at my.arizona.vote.