The election is so close in Arizona that some are close to tears.
For early voters in the battleground state — one of seven that will decide the election — they feel their future is at stake more than ever in what is shaping up to be one of the closest and most consequential races in decades.
Polling places in and around Phoenix have already seen a steady stream of voters eager to drop off their ballots despite the triple-digit heat.
Who wins the state is a matter of luck: Recent polls show Donald Trump ahead by just one percent, and election prediction models give him the best chance of winning by the slimmest of margins.
DailyMail.com found a nearly even split between Harris and Trump supporters, but the reasons they voted ran the gamut.
Early voting in the battleground state of Arizona is underway, with voters returning their mail-in ballots or voting at early voting locations across the state. Voters DailyMail.com spoke to reflected how close the race in the key state is expected to be, with a nearly even split between Trump and Harris.
At an early voting location in Scottsdale, Louis Lopez stopped to vote for Trump.
“I love the changes he’s trying to make,” said the Hispanic voter originally from New York. “I love what he’s trying to do with the border.”
Lopez, who also voted for Trump in the last election, described Trump as “a level-headed guy” and said simply that he is not a fan of Harris.
But independent voter Shawn Dunn, who showed up to vote moments later, disagreed.
Dunn voted for Harris because “she’s not crazy.” She is not insane. And she doesn’t lie like all the phrases, so for me the most important thing is integrity.’
Dunn had been voting a straight Republican ticket for 40 years, but that changed in 2016.
The father of four daughters said another issue for him this year is making sure his daughters have “their physical right to do whatever they want.”
“Last time I checked I didn’t see any laws for men and my body, and they are trying to control women’s bodies,” she added passionately.
This year he also voted for Democrat Rubén Gallego in the Senate race against Republican Kari Lake.
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Mary Meyer also showed up to the polls to vote in Scottsdale, but the experience has been tough for the registered Republican.
“I’m emotional because I voted against someone, so I voted for Harris because I think Trump is a dictator,” she said, fighting back tears.
“I like to vote for someone I can trust, who isn’t a liar, who respects women and who is sane,” she said. “I can’t say Harris isn’t all of those things, I just don’t know enough about her yet, and I hope she gets elected, and I hope I warm to her.”
Meyer also voted for Gallego in the Senate race. But in a state like Arizona, not everyone votes directly.
Benjamin Sorensen, 19, holds a sticker that says “I voted today” after casting his vote in his first presidential election. Voted for Trump for president but Gallego for the Senate
In Phoenix, Benjamin Sorensen, 19, voted for the first time in a presidential election on Friday. The registered Independent was extremely conflicted about his choice, but opted for Trump.
“It was very difficult to choose, but I came together and voted for Trump,” he said.
‘Socially I am very liberal. I love Kamala’s initiatives on abortion and LGBTQ rights, as presented. She is very approachable. But he has been in office for three and a half years. It hasn’t been the best. Trump’s four years looked much more promising economically,” Sorensen explained.
While he voted for the Republican presidential candidate, he voted for a mix of Democrats and Republicans, including Gallego in the Senate race.
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“The Senate was almost even tougher because I think we have two lunatics running for public office,” he said.
Sorensen accused Lake of sucking up to the extreme right and Gallego of pretending to be moderate. He said the reason behind his ticket split was abortion rights.
‘I believe Gallego will protect a woman’s right to choose in Arizona at the federal level. With Lake I’m not so sure,’ he said.
Voters DailyMail.com spoke to reflected how close the race overall is in the state with its eleven electoral votes.
The Real Clear Politics polling average has Trump up half a point, as a series of recent polls show the race within the margin of error.
The average of Real Clear Politics polls shows Trump leading in the state by just half a point.
The latest Wall Street Journal poll shows Harris up two points, a statistical tie, while the just-released Emerson College poll shows Trump up two points.
In the Senate race, Gallego appears to have a six-point lead over Lake, suggesting that a good number of voters will split the candidates this year.
Democrat Rubén Gallego (left) and Republican Kari Lake (right) participate in the Arizona Senate debate on October 9, 2024
Both presidential candidates have campaigned intensely in the state. Harris held a campaign rally on Thursday, a day after early voting began. His running mate, Tim Walz, also visited the state during the first day of early voting.
Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, also marked the start of early voting in the state on Wednesday. Trump has a rally in the battleground state on Sunday.
Trump won the state in 2016 by more than 90,000 votes, but President Biden turned it blue in 2020 by just over 10,000 votes, the closest presidential election in the state’s history. This year’s results could be even tighter.
Voters in Arizona can participate in early voting by dropping off their ballot by mail or they can show up to vote in person at a number of polling locations.
Kamala Harris participated in her rally in Arizona on October 10, a day after early voting began in the state.
Donald Trump holds campaign event in Tucson on September 12
Trump’s running mate JD Vance held a rally in Tucson, AZ, on the first day of early voting in the state, October 9.
Republican David Kappeler, 57, voted early in Phoenix because he will be out of town on Election Day and didn’t want to miss being part of the process. He voted for Trump.
“I think it’s exactly what this country needs with all the deficit spending, the economy, the border and the weak defense,” Kappeler said.
He believes Harris is “misinformed and inept.”
Kappeler also voted in Lake’s state Senate race for the same reasons he shared for supporting Trump.
Harris and Trump signs can be seen along highways and near early voting locations as voters head to the polls in Arizona.
But Democrat Elizabeth Madden, 28, showed up to vote for Harris and opposing Democrats, including Gallego.
‘I voted for Kamala Harris. I trust her as President of the United States because she cares about women’s reproductive rights and also about climate change, which are my two main issues.’
She is extremely upset that Trump is back on the ballot and worries that he “doesn’t see immigrants as people.”
Madden ran because early voting fits his difficult work schedule, but he worries about turnout among his peers. Some have told him they will not participate.
She was joined in early voting by Michael Casper, also 28, who voted Democratic up and down the ballot, citing climate change as his big issue.
Early in-person voting in the state is extended through Nov. 1 before voters can return in person to cast their ballots on Election Day, Nov. 5.
