Five of the six Republican candidates for governor in Tucson, July 30, 2014. From left: Ken Bennett, Christine Jones, Frank Riggs, Scott Smith, Andrew Thomas. Missing: Doug Ducey.Polling places were open throughout Arizona until 7 p.m. Tuesday, as voters selected party nominees in six statewide races, 90 legislative seats and all nine congressional districts.
The state elections office predicted a turnout of 25 percent, which it said is in line with turnout over the last decade in primaries for non-presidential election years.
The top race is for governor, with six Republicans seeking the nomination. The winner will take on Democrat Fred DuVal, who is unopposed in the primary, and two minor party candidates. All hope to succeed GOP Gov. Jan Brewer, who is termed out.
In that race, polls showed a high number of undecided voters as recently as last week, which pollsters said was a result of the array of candidates and a lack of name recognition among them.
About 235,000 early ballots were sent to Pima County voters, and election officials said that 100,000 had been returned by Monday. Voters holding early ballots can return them to any polling place or to the county elections or recorder's office by 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Elections officials pointed out numerous times during the run-up to the election that independents, the state's largest group of registered voters, can cast ballots in the primary, simply by selecting one party for which to cast the vote.
Besides governor, Arizonans are selecting nominees for secretary of state, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, treasurer, two seats on the Corporation Commission and all 90 seats in the Legislature.
The state's nine congressional seats also are on the ballot, with the hottest races coming in the general election in the 1st, 2nd and 9th Congressional Districts, all held by Democrats and all targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
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