Phoenix, Arizona begins early voting in key swing state election

Residents in Phoenix have started early voting at the Arizona State University campus.

Arizona is a crucial swing state, with 11 electoral votes at stake.

Carol Keane, a voter from Phoenix, expressed her support for Donald Trump, stating it was not his personality that influenced her decision, but rather her alignment with his policies over those of Kamala Harris. “The idea of Kamala Harris as president terrifies me because I disagree with her policies,” she said.

Arizona has taken the lead as the first presidential battleground state this year to offer early in-person voting, allowing residents to cast their votes at regular polling locations prior to Election Day.

Another voter supported Kamala Harris, referring to Trump as a "huge comedic performance."

Arianna Welker, a voter from Phoenix, shared, “I voted for Kamala for many personal reasons, as I don’t agree with Trump. Being a person of color, I support reproductive rights, which is very important to me. There are personal reasons I prefer not to discuss on camera, but yes, I’m a Democrat, so I voted for Kamala.”

Both Republican and Democratic vice presidential candidates campaigned in Arizona before early voting began in a state that could influence the presidential election outcome and the Senate's power dynamics.

As of late July, Arizona had 4.1 million registered voters, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

The actual number is probably greater since both parties have been working to boost registration ahead of Monday's deadline.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, is set to lead a rally in Phoenix on Thursday.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump will conduct a rally on Sunday in Prescott Valley, a Republican bastion located approximately 90 miles north of Phoenix.

In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden won against Trump by a slim margin of just 10,457 votes.

This narrow victory has fuelled years of misinformation and conspiracy theories among Republicans who have not accepted Biden's win.

As a result, election workers have faced threats and harassment, leading some election offices to enhance security measures for their staff and polling place volunteers.

Early in-person voting has already started in several states for the past few weeks.

It will kick off next week in four additional key presidential states: Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Nevada.