Elections 102: Candidate Names on a Primary Election Ballot

Have you ever noticed that candidate names listed on a primary election ballot are not always in alphabetical order? Any ballot category that has two or more candidates running for an office will have names rotated so each candidate’s name appears equally at the top. Rotating names provides the opportunity for each candidate to be exposed to the same number of voters as their competitors. In Maricopa County, there are over 19,000 ballot styles for the primary election alone. 

This article was originally published by Eryn Streeter for the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA) on Thursday, July 28, 2022.